Man Utd defender Phil Jones was forced to limp off in the first half of his side’s defeat to Huddersfield Town on Saturday, but it may not be too serious.
It proved to be disastrous at the time as shortly after Jones was replaced by Victor Lindelof, Jose Mourinho’s side fell two goals behind and went on to lose 2-1.
The Swede produced a poor performance with a costly error that led to Huddersfield’s second goal, and so many United supporters will arguably be desperate to see Jones return as soon as possible.
Mourinho’s men are preparing for a League Cup meeting with Swansea City in midweek before hosting Tottenham at Old Trafford next weekend, and so the second fixture next week will be crucial in terms of having Jones back.
According to the Manchester Evening News, the 25-year-old was in ‘reasonable spirits’ and ‘walked unaided’ after the game and so there is an air of positivity that he hasn’t sustained a long-term issue as he appeared to gesture towards his hip when coming off the pitch.
With Eric Bailly set to return next weekend to face Spurs, as per the report, having Jones alongside him will be a huge boost for Man Utd to maintain their previously impressive defensive displays having conceded just four goals in nine league games.
As for Lindelof though, Mourinho will hope that his confidence hasn’t been too badly dented, as ultimately he’ll want to forget Saturday’s display as quickly as possible and try to bounce back.
It does present a difficult decision for Man Utd though, as they will have to decide whether or not to throw him back into the mix against Swansea, or take him back out and give him time to respond.