There is some good news for Manchester United, on the injury front. Central defender Victor Lindelof is healing up from the groin pull that he suffered while on international duty last month. “Victor returned to training but is not available for tomorrow,” United manager Ruben Amorim said ahead of the weekend loss to Nottingham Forest.
“Maybe the next game, he will be available.” And that next game comes Thursday, when the Red Devils travel to Viktoria Plzen, for some red hot UEFA Europa League action.
Manchester United at Viktoria Plzen FYIs
Kick: Thurs. Dec 12, 5:45pm, Doosan Arena
Competition: UEFA Europa League Matchday 6 of 8
Man United Preview Material: Team News Starting XI Prediction
UEL Standings, Form: Man United 12th 9pts +3 GD DDDWW Viktoria Plzen 13th 9 pts +2 GD DDDWW
Red Devils Team News
While the Lindelof news is good, nothing has improved for fellow defenders Jonny Evans (unspecified/undisclosed) or Luke Shaw. Said Amorim on Friday: “Jonny is still not training.” As for Shaw, injuries continue to be the dominant story line of his career, with his latest injury comeback very short-lived.
He is recovering from a hamstring problem that will keep him out indefinitely. Overall, in the big picture however, United’s injury situation is looking very good, especially given where it has been most of this season. Two, or at most three, injury absentees? When was the last time the situation was that positive?
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.