[인터풋볼] Reporter Ha Geun-soo = Manchester United have a nightmare of injury ahead of their match against Villarreal. Key defender Captain Harry Maguire, 28, is out with an injury.
Manchester United will face Villarreal in the second leg of Group F Group F of the 2021-22 season to be held at Old Trafford, Manchester, England at 4 am (Korean time) on the 30th (Korean time). Manchester United, who lost the first leg, are at the bottom of Group F, while Villarreal, who drew with Atalanta, are in third place.
Last season, Manchester United and Villarreal met in the UEFA Europa League (UEL) final. Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer lost the trophy in front of his eyes after losing the battle for resourcefulness with manager Unai Emery. Manchester United, who will face each other again after one season, are aiming for a revenge against Villarreal.
There is another motivation. Recently, Manchester United lost their pride to Aston Villa in the league after being eliminated early in the English Football League Cup (EFL Cup). Solskjaer’s position is also shaken. Manchester United desperately need three points in this match as they also lost against Young Boys in the first group stage match.
In the midst of this, bad things happened. Substitute Maguire was eventually pulled out of the squad due to an injury in the match against Aston Villa. Solskjaer said at a press conference before the match, “Maguire is definitely out. His calves don’t look good. It could take several weeks to get back, so we have to see how quickly he recovers.”
The situation is even worse with no clear substitute. There are Victor Lindelof and Eric Bai, but they are not enough to fill the void in Maguire. Moreover, as we lost to Villarreal in the absence of Maguire in the last final, the worries are likely to deepen.
Luke Shaw, who was injured along with Lindelof, appears to have recovered to some extent. Solskjaer added: “Shaw was in training today. He didn’t train with the team. We will give him a chance tomorrow. With Aaron Wan-Bissaka also suspended, we will have to make some changes.”
