Manchester United have been plagued by a number of high profile injuries this season. The most recent piece of bad news came when manager Louis van Gaal admitted that one of their wingers is going to be out with injury for a long time.
Although the Red Devils cannot look for excuses to explain their lackluster performances this season, the injuries to so many of their squad members has surely not helped their cause. Ashley Young, who came off during the match against Liverpool FC, will be out for a considerable period is the latest to join the injury list. Van Gaal confirmed that he was out for the long term recently, and also bemoaned the bad luck the club was having with injuries.
“Ashley Young has a severe groin injury,” the Dutchman told MUTV on Friday, “It shall be operated on, so he’s for a long time gone.” [Via: skysports.com]
“It’s unbelievable, but we’re not lucky with that. Jones and Schweinsteiger cannot come back this weekend. You can count it and we have seven injuries.”
Full time full back
Young had, of late, been converted into a makeshift fullback for Manchester United, due to the loss of first choice left back Luke Shaw to a broken leg that has seen him miss the majority of this season. The injuries to a number of players who could fill that role has been particularly stressful for the manager and he admitted that he could be looking to sign a fullback this January.
“I think when you see how unlucky we have been in the full-back position. I have started with Valencia, Shaw, Rojo, Darmian and Young, sometimes, and they are all injured – only Darmian is now back…. So, I need full-backs”, he said.
The Manchester United manager believes that young fullbacks like Cameron Borthwick-Jackson and Guillermo Varela are doing an admirable job, but the standards to maintain and pressure of playing in the first team are much too high to be thrust upon them at this stage.
