Former Manchester United midfielder Juan Sebastian Veron to come out of retirement aged 41
According to Juan Lewis of the Daily Mirror, Veron will come out of retirement to fulfill a promise made to the Argentine fans. The 41-year-old is set to feature in the Copa Liberadores.
The former Chelsea and Manchester United midfielder is back in training with his former club Estudiantes as he prepares to fulfill a pledge to fans that he would turn out in the 2017 Copa Liberadores if supporters bought 65 per cent of boxes at the club’s new stadium.
Veron returned to Argentina in 2013, and called it a day from the game a year later. He is currently the President of the La Plata outfit, and will now play another game for the club that gave him his beginnings in football.
Michael Carrick states Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s winning goal was a special moment
Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored the all important goal for the Red Devils as they registered their second league victory on the spin against Crystal Palace. The Swede did not look sharp throughout the course of the game, but provided the goods when it mattered the most.
Paul Pogba’s impeccable ball was well received by the Swede who ran a few yards with it, before slotting it into the back of the net with his left foot. The goal was his eighth in the league this season.
After the game, Michael Carrick told MUTV about how important the goal was for him and for the team as a whole.
“It’s such a good feeling and it’s the best way you can win a game. It is almost regardless of whether you play well or not. The feeling you get from a late winner is always special and it means that little bit more. It was nice and we enjoyed it,” said the United midfielder.
“I always felt there was a winner there though; sometimes you get that feeling. We were pushing and pushing, we felt it was coming. It was a great ball from Paul and a fantastic finish from Ibra. The game was won,” he added.
TV pundit Danny Murphy states Manchester United will finish in the top four
The Red Devils’ performances this season have been a grade higher than the past three, but the results haven’t quite backed that up. Despite playing attacking football and creating a number of chances, Jose Mourinho’s men find themselves languishing in sixth place – 13 points adrift off leaders Chelsea.
While a title quest looks pretty much off the cards, United’s only realistic targets will be a top four finish. The form of Pogba, Ibrahimovic and Ander Herrera has seen an uptick in results recently and with Henrikh Mkhitaryan set to return in a couple of weeks, the Red Devils could challenge the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool for the top four berth.
Former Fulham midfielder turned TV pundit Danny Murphy believes Mourinho’s side has what it takes to finish in the Champions League qualification positions.
According to George Mills of the Daily Star, Murphy said: “Burnley at home, Stoke at home, Arsenal at home. All game United should have won comfortably – six points. Is their season that bad?”
“OK they haven’t played the free-flowing old school United way but they are progressing nicely. I really fancy them to be top four by the end of the season, I really do. It’s not just how they’re playing, it’s the strength in depth,” he added.
Eric Bailly states his injury may not be as serious as initially feared
Manchester United defender Eric Bailly insists his injury is not too serious after he was withdrawn due to a knee injury in Wednesday’s 2-1 win over Crystal Palace. The Ivorian made his first start after recovering from an injury, but lacked full fitness throughout the game.
The 22-year-old injured his knee in the Europa League game against Zorya Luhansk and was sidelined for six weeks. Thus, after he went down injured at Selhurst Park, initial signs suggested that he was in for lengthy injury layoff.
However, he took to Facebook to reassure the Old Trafford faithful that the injury is not too serious and he should be back within a few weeks. He wrote: “Happy to announce that my injury isn’t too serious. Hope to be able to help my team again soon! Thank you for the support!”
