Manchester United injury problems increase after Europa League match on Thursday night
If you didn’t support Newcastle United, you might find the problems at Manchester United amusing.
Thursday night saw a depressing [for Man Utd fans] 0-0 draw, making it no wins in their last 10 away games [all competitions] with six defeats and four draws.
That run goes back seven months to March, whilst Manchester United haven’t scored more than one goal in their last nine games now [home and away], since that anomaly on the opening day of the season when they beat Chelsea 4-0 at Old Trafford.
A poor match on Thursday night where Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team were clear second best, not a single shot on target and only one corner to AZ Alkmaar’s 10.
Though he made some changes including giving a number of younger players a game, Solskjaer’s team was still older than AZ Alkmaar’s and the Manchester United starting 11 cost around £250m, compared to the £30m or so that the entire AZ Alkmaar squad cost to put together.
Looking to protect a number of first choice players for a massive game at Newcastle on Sunday, the Man Utd manager left a number of top players on the bench, an extra worry being the artificial pitch tonight which has been repeatedly criticised for potentially causing injuries.
In the final half hour, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer went for the win when introducing first teamers Marcus Rashford, Scott McTominay and Jesse Lingard. However, this backfired when Lingard limped off after only a quarter of an hour leaving the Premier League team to play the closing stages with only 10 men.
Jones, Pogba, Wan-Bissaka and Shaw were all ruled out of the squad tonight through injury/illness and are doubts for Newcastle on Sunday, as is Lingard now.
The Man Utd boss admitting after the final whistle about Lingard: ‘I think he felt his hamstring but I don’t think he’s too bad. Probably not available for Newcastle but ready for Liverpool [two weeks after Newcastle game].”
Whilst Ole Gunnar Solskjaer also expressed concerns about Marcus Rashford before tonight’s game, the only currently available senior striker who the Man Utd manager was wary about using on this artificial pitch, due to his recent thigh injury. Rashford playing the final half hour after coming off the bench in Thursday night’s goalless draw.
Amongst the other stats, it is now two and a half years since Manchester United last won a Premier League away game directly after a midweek European game.
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