You can squash the internet rumors. The Angel Di Maria injury is ‘not too heavy’.
“Di Maria is not so bad but of course he shall not play against Southampton, but you never know,” Louis van Gaal said when asked about the fitness of the man who broke the British Premier League record for a transfer fee.
It wasn’t just Angel Di Maria, today, following the 2-1 win over Stoke City, was a day of injury and health updates. Here’s the latest update on Wayne Rooney. There was also an update on Daley Blind; a pleasant surprise. What a great Christmas present that would be for Louis van Gaal, to have Blind possibly back for the Yuletide. Having a side that’s suffered through 43 injuries thus far, player fitness must be at the top of Van Gaal’s Christmas wish list.
Back to Angel Di Maria, so he’s ruled out for the visit to Southampton. That’s unfortunate as United are just one point behind the Saints, and having Di Maria would boost their chances to overtake them.
Perhaps the Argentine Winger will return in for the huge rivalry clash at home versus Liverpool on December 14th.
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and writes The Sports Bank.net ,which is partners with Fox Sports. Read his feature stories in the Chicago Tribune RedEye edition. Listen to him on KOZN 1620 The Zone. Follow him on Twitter (@paulmbanks). His work has been featured in hundreds of media outlets including The Washington Post and ESPN 2