New Delhi: Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur face each other later tonight in North London in what is a crucial clash for both sides. They are two of the Premier League’s ‘big six’ clubs but have had uncharacteristically torrid seasons this term as they both languish in the mid table, sitting closer to the relegation spots than to the European ones. United have only won two of their last eight league games and recently lost to Crystal Palace in their last league fixture.
Amorim needs to get a result at Spurs tonight but seems like his squad has been hit with an injury bug of their own ahead of this crucial encounter. Following a season ending ACL injury to Lisandro Martinez which came as a huge blow for the club, four more players are now expected to miss the clash and be out for a longer period of time. The Red Devils travel to the Tottenham Hotspur stadium to avenge their 3-0 loss in the reverse fixture.
Much has changed since that thumping win for Spurs as their season has gone completely down the hill since then. They have had one of the worst injury hit seasons in their history that has contributed in their downfall and pressure is on Ange Postecoglou to produce results after they were knocked out of both cup competitions in successive fixtures recently. The pressure to perform his high for Ruben Amorim but will have to do so without four of his stars.
4) Amad Diallo
This news broke out late last night and has been doing the rounds since as Manchester United’s poster boy of the season, Amad Diallo seems to have suffered a potentially season ending injury. The Ivorian winger has been the club’s best player this season and has stepped up in big games against the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool. It’s a huge blow for the club, not only for tonight’s fixture, but also for the rest of the season as he’s suffered an ankle injury and is due for surgery next week, which is set to rule him out for the next three months.
3) Toby Collyer
Manchester United academy graduate Toby Collyer is a prospect who’s been highly rated at the club by everyone. The 21-year-old defensive midfielder broke into the first team this season and has already made nine first team appearances. His importance in the team has grown gradually and he has made two starts and four appearances from the bench in recent weeks. He suffered an injury in training this week and is expected to miss the clash with Tottenham. While no further update has been issued by the club on his availability, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he was to sit this one out.
2) Manuel Ugarte
Joining him on the doubt list for the Spurs clash is fellow defensive midfielder Manuel Ugarte. The Uruguayan International, who was a summer arrival at the club, had a mixed time during the first half of the season before becoming one of the club’s better players since the turn of the year. Ever since starring in United’s draw with Liverpool, Ugarte became a mainstay in the team but he also suffered an injury in training this week, raising question marks over his availability as well. Both him and Collyer are set to be assessed before the clash but it doesn’t look good for either man.
1) Kobbie Mainoo
Rounding up United’s midfield injury crisis is another academy graduate and star midfielder Kobbie Mainoo. The 19-year-old has been one of United’s best players since last season and has made 18 appearances in the league this season. Amorim had recently started using him in a more advanced role as well, showcasing the head coach’s trust in the youngster and his importance in the team. He has now been confirmed to miss the Spurs clash with an injury and is expected to be out for two to three weeks more, adding to the club’s injury troubles.
Manchester United face a crucial fixture against Tottenham later this evening but the Red Devils could be without four of their stars for this encounter, adding more misery of head coach Ruben Amorim. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
