Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick gives injury update on midfielder Paul Pogba after Liverpool drubbing
Speaking to MUTV in his post-match press conference after his side’s 4-0 loss to Liverpool at Anfield last night, Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick gave an injury update on midfielder Paul Pogba, who limped off the pitch in the first half.
Pogba was taken off early in the game, lasting only ten minutes in the match. He seemed to depart the pitch with an apparent leg injury, and was replaced by Jesse Lingard in midfield. At that point in the match, United were already a goal down.
Rangnick confirmed that the Frenchman had pulled his calf muscle, and suspected that at the moment, it will be an injury that will take some time to recover, unlike Fred’s injury which would heal in a week.
“He pulled his calf muscle and, as it seems right now, this will not be an injury like the one Fred has which will be gone in one week.”
It only got worse for the Red Devils from there, as Liverpool added one more to their goal tally before the break. The second half saw the Merseyside club score two more goals, as Rangnick’s men offered no response to their dominance.
“Arsenal or Chelsea”
The result saw the Manchester side slip down to sixth place in the Premier League table, three points away from fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur. However, Spurs can pull away and establish a six-point lead if they win their upcoming game against Brentford on the weekend.
Adding on to the bad news, Rangnick said he feared that Pogba may not be available for selections for the upcoming matches against Arsenal or Chelsea, in what will be a blow to our top-four ambitions at the end of the season.
“I fear he will not be available for Arsenal or Chelsea.”
United fans will be left wondering if we would have fared better if Pogba had remained injury-free and stayed on the field in midfield, given that we went on to concede three more goals after his departure from the pitch.
With Rangnick expecting the 29-year-old to miss the next couple of fixtures, and a return date from his injury yet unknown, perhaps we may even have seen the player turn out for the Red Devils for the final time. His contract expires in the summer, and thus far, there seems to be no indication of him staying in Manchester for a few more years.
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There is no question about Pogba’s presence in the team making us a stronger side on paper, and so his possible absence from our games against Chelsea and Arsenal will be a big blow to us. The Gunners are one of the clubs in the race for a top-four spot alongside us, so a win against them would prove to be a big result for us.
With Fred and Scott McTominay also not appearing against Liverpool last night, we are short in midfield as we reach the business end of the season. Wins are crucial if we want to qualify for the Champions League next term, and without Pogba, our chances look slim.
