Manchester United Manager Erik ten Hag Suffers Devastating Injury Blow on Turkish Pitch
In a shocking turn of events, Manchester United’s Brazilian winger Antony was stretchered off the pitch after being injured in the latter stages of the Eredivisie clash against Fenerbahce. The Brazilian had only been on the field for 16 minutes, having replaced Marcus Rashford in the bid for a winner, before suffering a setback that could leave the Red Devils’ manager in a precarious position.
Ten Hag expressed his disappointment and concern for Antony’s well-being, stating, “It’s really unlucky for him. I feel real compassion for him, when he worked so hard in training. His training performances are that good that he deserved to come on. When you have to come off so quickly, that is really sad to see. Hopefully, it’s not too bad, we have to wait 24 hours for what the assessment is.”
While the extent of Antony’s injury remains unknown, the early signs do not bode well. The 25-year-old was seen leaving the stadium on crutches with his left foot in a protective boot, fuelling concerns over the severity of the problem.
This unfortunate turn of events has set alarm bells ringing at Old Trafford, with questions being raised over Antony’s availability for forthcoming games. Despite his start against Barnsley in the Carabao Cup, he has struggled to secure regular minutes this season, prompting speculation over his place in the United side.
It was Amad Diallo who replaced him for stoppage time against Fenerbahce, leading to whispers on social media asking why he was not Ten Hag’s first choice for the role. The manager, however, stuck by his decision, citing Antony’s impressive training performances, saying, “He is a threat almost every training so I felt in that moment to bring him, to decide the game.”
Further scrutiny will be placed on Ten Hag’s selection decisions in the coming days, particularly with the team looking to bounce back from their ill-fated Champions League campaign. For now, the United faithful can only hope that the injury to Antony is not as severe as initially feared, and that the team can find a solution to this tricky period.
