Man Utd playmaker Juan Mata could reportedly miss the rest of the season after having to undergo surgery on a groin injury.
After Jose Mourinho’s arrival at Old Trafford last summer, there were real fears over the Spaniard’s future at the club given their history at Chelsea.
However, with 38 appearances in all competitions, scoring 10 goals and providing six assists, he has proven his worth to the Red Devils and has been an important figure for them.
Nevertheless, as reported by Manchester Evening News, United have been rocked by the news that the 28-year-old suffered a groin injury in training earlier this week and was forced to go under the knife on Thursday.
What is clear is that he’ll be absent for the more immediate games which include some pivotal Premier League and Europa League encounters, and it’s even claimed that it could force him to miss the rest of the campaign.
This is not what Mourinho would have wanted to hear having already seen Chris Smalling and Phil Jones pick up injuries over the international break as they were forced to withdraw from England duty with what sound like serious setbacks.
Ander Herrera and Zlatan Ibrahimovic are suspended for this weekend’s clash with West Bromwich Albion, and combined with Paul Pogba picking up a hamstring problem prior to the international break, it’s the worse time possible for Mourinho and United to see the squad start to crack.
Their loss will be another’s gain though and this could ultimately open the door for the likes of Luke Shaw and Wayne Rooney to make an impact. Ultimately though, Mourinho will be desperately disappointed to see how things have gone over the last fortnight after bemoaning the fixture list last month.