As has been the case after almost every single Manchester United game this season, another player has fallen victim to the debilitating injury crisis.
This time, it’s a previous sufferer in the form of Scott McTominay, who entered the fold against Burnley on Saturday in the 65th minute before being withdrawn in stoppage time in what looked like significant pain.
Casemiro deputising for the five sidelined centre-halves has led to a starting space in defensive midfield opening up in the past three matches, with Erik ten Hag opting for the Brazilian’s experienced counterpart Christian Eriksen alongside mainstay Kobbie Mainoo.
The 19-year-old made way for McTominay just 20 minutes into the second half, though, in a decision that was met with loud boos from the Old Trafford faithful. The manager asserted post-match that he is adamant about managing Mainoo’s minutes carefully in order to avoid an injury to the young prospect.
Meanwhile, McTominay returned from a two-game absence in last Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final win over Coventry City. He started the tie and featured for 103 minutes before making two off-the-bench cameos in the subsequent clashes with Sheffield United and the Clarets.
The latter saw the 27-year-old have to be assisted by the physio staff while he limped off in injury time and made his way straight down the tunnel for treatment, sparking major concerns over his condition and whether we may see him again before the campaign concludes.
Pundits share initial verdicts on McTominay’s condition
MUTV’s pundit panel shared worrying verdicts on what they saw of the incident; Mark Sullivan claimed that McTominay looked ‘distressed’ as he made his way off the pitch.
Similarly, Febian Brandy stated: “From where we were sat, it didn’t look good.
“Scott’s not the type of player to say he wants to come off so that alone looks like it potentially could be a bad one. You just pray it’s nothing serious, and something that’s going to be two or three days.”
United’s No.39 may fear the worst with not only the FA Cup final on the horizon but also Euro 2024, where he would be expected to play a vital role for Scotland across the tournament. He was integral to his nation’s qualifying, too, netting seven times in their eight matches played.
