- Paul Pogba suggests he hopes Man City suffer some injury setbacks
- Man Utd star looking for any edge possible in Premier League title race
- Frenchman knows himself the frustration of being ruled out with injury this season
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Every player is desperate to win major trophies and Man Utd midfielder Paul Pogba is no different, but even he knew straight away he probably shouldn’t have said this.
Given the Frenchman himself knows all about the frustration of injury problems this season given he was absent from September to November with a hamstring injury, it makes this statement all the more questionable.
In fairness, he makes a decent point on how Man Utd have struggled with injuries and so their bad luck has to end at some point, and they’ll be desperate for that to happen with so much to play for as they remain eight points adrift of rivals Man City in the Premier League title race.
The two city rivals square off at Old Trafford on December 10 in what could be a decisive clash, but Pogba has reluctantly suggested that he’s hoping that Pep Guardiola’s men have some injury problems of their own in order to give the Red Devils an opening to make up ground.
“Some day I hope they are going to slip and I hope, and I know that it’s bad to say things like that, but I hope for us that some very important players get injured,” he told BBC Football Focus, as reported by the Manchester Evening News.
“Just like what is happening with us because every time we are having important players that get injured and missing important games. If that happens to them as well then maybe it will make a difference. It might be a little touch that makes them weaker.”
It’s one thing hoping that your own injury problems end and that Jose Mourinho will have a full-strength squad at his disposal between now and the end of the season. However, it’s arguably a step too far to wish bad luck on rivals.
Ultimately, it’s never nice to see players go down with an injury regardless of who you support. It’s fair to say we’d rather see a title race with City and United at full strength and going all guns blazing to lift the trophy in May rather than key players going down and giving one or the other a major advantage.
City have looked in ominous form so far this season, but they’ll likely experience a dip in form between now and the end of the campaign, and that’s where United will have to take their chance.