Man Utd handed huge boost as Real Betis suffer major blow ahead of Europa League clash
Manchester United have received a significant boost ahead of their Europa League last 16 clash, with a key Real Betis player expected to miss the remainder of the season due to injury.
By defeating Barcelona and Real Sociedad in the play-off round, the Red Devils advanced to the last 16 of the competition.
Erik ten Hag’s team has subsequently won the Carabao Cup and is still in contention for the FA Cup and Premier League.
But, they will play a Betis side managed by Manuel Pellegrini, who has never conceded a goal against United in the four European matches he has managed against them.
Betis is having another successful season in La Liga, currently sitting in fifth place with 40 points from 23 games. They trail third-placed Sociedad by three points.
Additionally, Pellegrini’s team has won their last three league games. Yet, they have been handed a big blow before of their match against Manchester United.
Real Betis’s star is ruled out of the Manchester United match.
On February 24, Betis’ 3-2 triumph over Elche was marred by an injury to midfielder Nabil Fekir, who went on to play the entire 90 minutes.
Nevertheless, Betis later revealed on their official website that the 29-year-old had sustained an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, ruling him out of both legs of the Spanish club’s match against Manchester United, as well as the rest of the season.
The Frenchman tore his cruciate ligament in 2015 while playing for Lyon. He was out for seven months before returning to score 14 goals in all competitions the following season.
Betis will be hoping that Fekir can have a similar influence when he returns, but for the time being, they will have to rely on other options to take on United.
His replacement might be important midfielder Sergio Canales, who is expected to recover from injury in time for the first leg on March 9th, according to Spanish publication Estadio Deportivo.
