Krishnan Sreekumar
Player News: Blow for Manchester United as Scott McTominay ruled out with illness
Speaking to the club’s official channel MUTV (h/t Daily Mail), Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick revealed that midfielder Scott McTominay missed last night’s clash against Atletico Madrid due to illness. The club went up against the La Liga champions at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium.
The first leg of the Round of 16 clash in the Champions League saw United come away from the tie with a 1-1 draw, as Anthony Elanga pulled a goal back for the Red Devils after Joao Felix put Atletico ahead in the opening 10 minutes.
Rangnick hinted that McTominay was due to play from the start against the La Liga side last night, but had to make do with a team setup sans the Scot. Fred took the midfielder’s place in the lineup instead.
“We had a little bit of hope that he might be available. So we needed to find the best possible formation and line-up without Scott.”
The player last played in the 4-2 win against Leeds United at Elland Road the previous weekend, as the Premier League witnessed a thrilling victory for the Red Devils. The academy product was a crucial player for the team on the pitch, battling it out in midfield in rough and tough conditions.
Midfield weakened
The 1.93m tall midfielder was a sure miss in last night’s clash against Atletico, as United were overrun in midfield and lacked any cohesiveness. Countless balls were displaced as the middle of the pitch was dominated by Diego Simeone’s men, especially in the second half.
Rangnick confirmed that the Scotland international was ill yesterday, but could not give a return date for the player. It remains to be seen whether he will be fit before Saturday’s PL game against Watford.
“He’s [McTominay] ill unfortunately. I spoke with him this afternoon and he’s still not feeling well.”
We can only wonder what could have been if McTominay had started in midfield, but from his recent performances, there was an expectation that he would fit right in and revel in such a physical contest.
His display against Leeds the previous weekend showed just that, as he flew into tackles and put his body on the line for the team. Atletico’s stars played in a similar manner last night, and perhaps United would have performed better with the Carrington product in their lineup.
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We can only hope that the defensive midfielder returns to full fitness and recovers from his illness soon, as his presence is a definite blow to the team’s strength in the middle of the park. Fred did not have his best game last night in place of the 25-year-old, and Nemanja Matic had to be called upon in the end to provide some solidity to the midfield.
At 33, Matic may not be expected to start every game for the club, so McTominay’s fitness is a big concern for the club. Hopefully, we see a determined McTominay return for the second leg of the tie to make up for his loss in the draw in the first leg.
