Ralf Rangnick confirms three Man Utd stars will miss Southampton clash
Since the winter break, the Red Devils have been a tremendous disappointment. They were knocked out of the FA Cup in the fourth round on penalties by Middlesbrough.
Following that was a dismal 1-1 league draw at Burnley. They dominated the early stages of both games before losing steam towards the halfway point.
Rangnick will be hoping that his squad can win again tomorrow, but he will be missing three players: Eric Bailly, Nemanja Matic, and Fred.
“The three players who will not be available tomorrow are still Eric Bailly, Fred, obviously because he was still testing positive, and Nemanja Matic,” he told Manutd.com. He’s got some shin troubles.”
Bailly’s ankle was swollen when he returned from the Ivory Coast assignment. He didn’t make the latest Turf Moor trip with Fred, who tested positive for coronavirus.
Matic has been sidelined with a shin injury. Rangnick now has a clear choice between Scott McTominay, Paul Pogba, and Bruno Fernandes in midfield.
Pogba has only recently returned from a thigh injury, but he appears ready to start his third game in nine days. Meanwhile, United has earned a fitness boost before Saturday’s game.
Alex Telles has been training since recovering from a coronavirus infection. Rangnick is expected to make a late judgment on whether he will be selected over Luke Shaw in the left-back position.
United is sixth in the league with 39 points, one point behind fourth-placed West Ham United, who have a game in hand. However, their opponents are in a stronger position than them in the Champions League race.
Arsenal leads by one point with a game in hand, while Spurs trail by three points with two games remaining. As a result, the Red Devils can’t afford to lose points versus the Saints tomorrow.
With the Saints coming off a dramatic 3-2 comeback win at Spurs, it looks to be another difficult test. In the last seven league games, United has only kept one clean sheet. Their defensive resolve will undoubtedly be put to the test.
