Pranav Nair
Villarreal may have to take on Manchester United sans Gerard Moreno and Juan Foyth
According to Spanish outlets Football Espana and El Periodico Mediterraneo (h/t Manchester Evening News), Villarreal could be set to take on Manchester United this week sans two first-team players.
The Yellow Submarines are a formidable side on their day but may have to make do without Juan Foyth and Gerard Moreno for the trip to Old Trafford. The former came off injured against Real Madrid in their last game while the latter has not featured since their Champions League opener against Atalanta.
Their absence will be a boon to the Red Devils who will be keen to get their first points on the board. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side fell to a shock defeat to Young Boys on opening day.
The tie against Villarreal will be a repeat of last season’s Europa League final. Unai Emery thoroughly outclassed his United counterpart on the night to secure the Spaniards their first major trophy in club history.
The Red Devils have since strengthened but are yet to find their bearings as a team. Facing Villarreal will be a litmus test as to how far we have come since our last meeting.
United also go into the match harbouring concerns of their own. Skipper Harry Maguire and ace left-back Luke Shaw are both a doubt for the game after picking up knocks against Aston Villa at the weekend.
Right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka is suspended following his sending-off in Switzerland. Other absentees include the injured duo of Marcus Rashford and Amad Diallo.
Despite notable absentees, Solskjaer has enough on his plate to see through Villarreal. But then, the same argument was made in the lead-up to the Europa League final. Hopefully, we won’t tempt fate this time around.
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Having already dropped points, United cannot afford to lose any more ground in the Champions League. Nothing less than a win will do for the Red Devils at the Theatre of Dreams. Solskjaer’s men have lost three of their last four games and are facing a crisis of sorts. Just how well they respond remains to be seen.
