Manchester United have a bit of a crisis at the striker position right now. You might have read a thing or two about it on the internet. A lot of factors contributed to this, and while the failings in the transfer window have been pretty well covered, many have seem to have forgotten about Mason Greenwood.
He still has a player profile page on the website, and his social media accounts remain online, but he remains outside the public eye, and indefinitely suspended. Greenwood is missing, and Old Trafford have totally whiffed in trying to acquire his replacement this summer. From Antony to Benjamin Sesko to Marko Arnautovic to Cody Gakpo to…well, this list goes on and on, and now we’re in panic buy mode.
As we head into week two, which sees a trip to Brentford FC, the final third remains a tremendous question mark.
Manchester United at Brentford FC FYIs
Manchester United Starting XI Prediction: go here
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Kick off: 5:30pm local, Saturday Aug 13, Brentford Community Stadium
TV Channel: NBC
Anthony Martial may not return for this one as he’s still battling a knee injury. Cristiano Ronaldo, another major reason why the transfer window has been a total disaster, wasn’t match fit for the season opener. And that was due to his bitter holdout as he tried to force a move away from the club.
No one that he wanted to sign with was keen on him and now he’s stuck here.
But as you may have seen in the media or social media this week, he was torching some, if most of the other players in wind sprints, so he appears to be fully fit now.
Also out of commission here are two squad, or fringe players: Brandon Williams and Facundo Pellistri (ankle sprain).
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and he co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast, part of Edge of the Crowd Network. Follow him and the website on Twitter and Instagram.