Prolific Manchester United striker Robin Van Persie has been ruled out for the next month with a thigh injury. He suffered the setback against Shakhtar Donetsk during the corner which led to the game’s only goal. Van Persie, who has 7 goals in 11 league games has already struggled to stay on the field this year after missing a handful of games with a groin injury. Manchester United needs both Robin Van Persie and Wayne Rooney on the field together to get to the top of the table and advance further into the UEFA Champions league. These two goal scorers working in unison are what it takes to move United from a middle of the pack team, to one of Europe’s more elite clubs.

The injuries are piling up

Will this injury be a major setback in United’s campaign in England and Europe? Losing a player of Van Persie’s caliber is obviously a setback for any team. One needs look no further than Barcelona losing two straight immediately after Leo Messi’s latest injury to see the impact that one great player can have, despite being loaded with talent. Pairing Robin’s absence with Michael Carrick’s doubles the issues that United will face over the coming weeks. Vidic and Patrice Evra have also been struggling with injuries, which means United must find a way to weather the storm over the next few matches until they can get some healthy bodies on the pitch.

Looking rough in the Premiership

United found a way to beat Aston Villa on the 15h of December thanks to a great performance by Danny Welbeck who knocked in a brace – can he be the team’s savior while everyone else is healing? The upcoming schedule for Man U does not necessarily get any easier either. An additional 4 games are on the books before the year’s end including matches in the FA and Capital One cups. Currently sitting at a disappointing 9th on the Barclay’s Premier League table, United is 13 points from being equal with Arsenal at the top and could easily drop

further with losses to Swansea City, Stoke City and Hull City in the next few weeks. A bad streak here could see United dropping out of the top 15, but that would be an absolute worst case scenario. David Moyes needs Van Persie back in healthy form by 19 January’s clash with Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea squad – however, if they don’t start winning some league games by then, it may not even matter. This next stretch is crucial if United are to get back into contention for next year’s Champions league and even think about competing for the league title.

 

Catching a break in the Champions League

While the road through the Premier League may get rough, United can be thankful that they are already through to the knockout phase of the Champions League and that Van Persie along with Carrick will be back and hopefully in top form by their next CL match in mid February.

It may be a tough month for United supporters with the injuries piling up for David Moyes’ club. Wayne Rooney needs to assert his dominance and find his form from last season. It’s also time for Javier Hernandez to become the player that he should be. Where has he been all year – especially in his Champion’s League appearances? Chicharito is an incredibly talented player who seems to be stuck in a funk regardless of where he plays – internationally or for his club. Who will rise to the occasion and carry Manchester through the coming month? Let’s hear what United fans have to say about this in the comments below!

This guest post was contributed by Harry Snell, founder and owner of UK’s leading free sports bet offers and free bets comparison website.