Gary Neville rejects the premise that Manchester United are suffering from an injury crisis despite the 56 separate cases of fitness issues/illness that have led to a player missing at least one game.
Throughout the campaign thus far, it’s seemed as though Erik ten Hag has lost at least one member of his squad per week.
The latest addition to the list was Scott McTominay, who was absent from United’s matchday squad on Sunday to face Liverpool with an unspecified injury concern. Marcus Rashford was also substituted in the closing stages of the match after signalling to the bench that he was unable to continue, having walked gingerly around the pitch prior to that point.
Raphael Varane and Jonny Evans’ early withdrawals last week left only Harry Maguire and Willy Kambwala as the available centre-half pairing over the weekend, and it looks as though that will be the case when United travel to face Bournemouth on Saturday; Ten Hag confirmed post-match that he doesn’t expect the experienced duo to return in the short term, while Victor Lindelof and Lisandro Martinez are still sidelined.
Kambwala’s inclusion also marked the 26th different back four deployed from the get-go by Ten Hag this term.
Neville unconvinced by United’s injury crisis
However, Neville is of the belief that the manager’s depleted squad isn’t as much of a problem as fans/pundits believe. He said (via Coventry Telegraph): “I actually think nine of the team that start today would be his first choice. I think that [Luke] Shaw would come in at left-back and Martinez would come in at left centre-back.
“You can argue between Varane and Harry Maguire, but there is not much in that and the rest of them. I think he has got his best players available. I don’t buy into this idea that United are decimated by injuries.
“In one particular position, they’ve got terrible injuries, which means young Kambwala comes in. Apart from that, they’re pretty strong. [Aaron] Wan-Bissaka and [Diogo] Dalot as full-backs, I think are both major signings for the club over the last five or six years, so Man United with the young centre back I don’t think are too bad.”
