Patrick Rees
Manchester United have been dealt a massive injury blow ahead of their clash against Tottenham Hotspur, as reports from ESPN have claimed that both Marcus Rashford and Ander Herrera complained about a niggle during United’s 2-0 win over Swansea in Carabao Cup on Tuesday.
Both Rashford and Herrera started in United’s Carabao Cup vicotry over Swansea, but were taken off soon after the hour’s mark and were replaced by Romelu Lukaku and Nemanja Matic respectively. The decision seemed a bit confusing at that point of time, but it now seems like a perfectly worked substitution. ESPN claims that Rashford complained a tightness in his hamstring in the first-half itself, while Ander Herrera saw his ankle get stiff after a challenge by Kyle Naughton.
Although the niggles are thought to be minor ones, Manchester United need to assess the duo ahead of the all-important Premier League fixture against Tottenham this weekend. Should the duo get a green card, they will be in line for a first-team start against the Lilywhites. Any doubts over Herrera’s fitness will prove to be a major stumbling block for Manchester United in their Premier League pursuit.
With Manchester City sitting five points clear and Tottenham being level on points with us, we need a victory to stay in the hunt. The injury issues, however, have been a major talking point for the club. Nemanja Matic and Ander Herrera are the only senior players Jose Mourinho can deploy against Tottenham and should the latter get any rile over his fitness, Mourinho could be forced to use Scott McTominay yet again.
Rashford, on the other hand, has been one of United’s best players this season. Stealing a spot ahead of Anthony Martial, the soon to be 20-year-old was the only focal point in United’s 2-1 defeat at hands of Huddersfield town last weekend. Against Swansea as well, Rashford provided a cheeky assist with a sumptuous flick to release Jesse Lingard.
Meanwhile, United’s defence remains an area of concern as well. Eric Bailly has been sidelined for long and although the defender gave a quick update by posting a picture of him in training gears, it is expected that he will not be a part of the squad to face Tottenham. Phil Jones is expected to make his return. Speaking after the Swansea fixture, Mourinho said,
“I think Jones will be [back] because, today, he was on the bench and he told me he will be ready in case I need him. So I believe he’ll be even better for Saturday. Apart from that, I have no news and no hopes [for any other players].”
Let’s hope that the injuries of Rashford and Mata are nothing serious.
