Although Man United are ticking along nicely in the Premier League, injuries to key players couldn’t have come at a worse time for Erik ten Hag, with another star man joining Luke Shaw, Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho on the sidelines.
As the Red Devils prepare to face Sevilla in the first leg of their Europa League quarter final, the Dutchman would surely have preferred to have had a full squad to choose from.
Garnacho is a long-term absentee, Shaw came off in the Brentford game and Rashford injured his groin in the recent English top-flight game against Everton.
Although Sevilla are struggling in La Liga at present and find themselves just five points above the relegation zone, the Europa League is always a different kettle of fish.
According to World Football, the Andalusian team have won the competition four times in the past nine years, and six times in total since 2006. That compares to Man United’s solitary win back in 2017.
Ten Hag would clearly love to alter that record, but he’ll now have to do so without midfield dynamo, Scott McTominay.
BBC Sport’s Simon Stone broke the news via Twitter:
Scott McTominay joins Luke Shaw, Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford in being ruled out of @ManUtd game tomorrow.
— Simon Stone (@sistoney67) April 12, 2023
At this late stage of the campaign, where trophies as well as final positions in the Premier League are there to be played for, it’s not the news that Man United needed.
A club of their stature will need to use their squad to its fullest in order to get past a side who really do shine when it comes to this particular competition.