Paul Pogba initially made all the headlines when he was dropped by Jose Mourinho tonight for the start of United’s goalless draw at Sevilla in Champions League knockout round action. However, fellow midfielder Ander Herrera left early due to injury, and Pogba came on in the 17′.
Manager Jose Mourinho believes Herrera could be out for some time, and on top of it, wasn’t actually 100% match fit and ready to go tonight. Mourinho is angry at the team’s medical staff, who he thinks let everybody down.
“I think it’s a bad injury,” Mourinho said.
“He had a small injury that stopped him for the last couple of matches but the medical department gave him 100 per cent ready for the last Saturday.
“We didn’t play him to give him more work and more protection but it looks like he was not fully fit.
“The medical department gave him fully fit, they gave him fully fit Saturday, and he trained Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and he looked fit. And the way he was playing during the time he was on the pitch, I think he showed that intensity that is only possible when you are fit and feel fit.”
“He was pressing a lot, he was pressing really high, we were not giving one inch to [Ever] Banega, pressing him really high, and Ander was one of them, Scott was the other. And you only do that when you feel really good.
“And then the backheel creates a contraction in the muscular error where he had the previous problem and now we have the proof he was not 100% fit.”
Yikes! Sounds like someone on the medical staff is going to be in big trouble for this.
Ander Herrera was United’s player of the year last season, and if he is indeed out for a very long time, he will certainly be missed. The Red Devils are already without Marouane Fellaini in the midfield as they face a tough race to stay in the top four and host Sevilla in the home leg of the Champions League tie March 13.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes regularly to WGN CLTV and the Tribune company’s blogging community Chicago Now.
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