When Noussair Mazraoui limped out of Manchester United’s loss at Newcastle United last time out, fears arose that he could be sidelined for awhile. Making his first start in almost three months, the foot injury he suffered at St James’ Park was a bit concerning at first.
There are no major worries though, as Mazraoui trained with the rest of the group on Thursday, ahead of the crunch clash with Aston Villa on Sunday.
Manchester United vs Aston Villa FYIs
Kickoff: Sunday March 15, 3pm, Old Trafford, Stretford, UK
Team News: Manchester United Aston Villa
Premier League Standing: Manchester United 3rd, 51 pts Aston Villa 4th, 51 pts
Manchester United Team News
Mazraoui is the good injury news for Man United, with Lisandro Martinez being the bad news. The Argentinian’s calf problem is taking much longer than expected to fully heal. Originally, it was thought that the central defender could only miss a match, maybe two at most, but this weekend’s clash will actually be his fourth game out of the lineup.
Martinez, who is yet to return to full training, has certainly encountered a lot of misfortune with injuries over the course of his career. Luck has not been on his side.
Elsewhere Matthijs de Ligt is another player whose injury (in his case, it’s the lower back) has turned out to actually be much worse than initially expected. He’s still sidelined here, as is Patrick Dorgu (thigh).
Meanwhile Mason Mount (unspecified) is likely to be ruled out as well, but it’s also hard to say for sure with him. Not much clarity has been provided on his situation.
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, RG.org and Ratings.org. 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 and the Washington Post.