Manchester United will get their 2021/22 Premier League campaign underway on Saturday afternoon when they lock horns with Leeds United at Old Trafford. However, United chief Ole Gunnar Solskjaer does have a cluster of injury worries and absences to contend with.
Dean Henderson
Goalkeeper Henderson is in serious danger of missing the opener with Leeds as he continues to recover from Covid-19. The former Sheffield United loanee, who was forced to pull out of the England squad over the summer through injury, tested positive for the virus nearly a month ago but is still struggling.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said: “Dean was positive early on. He’s negative in his testing but he has not felt as energised and sharp as he normally has done, so he still feels fatigued and is feeling the after-effects. You never know. You’ve seen so many effects of this virus, he’s still got a few days to rest and then we’ll check up on him.”
Jesse Lingard
Like Henderson, midfield ace Lingard is also on the comeback trail after testing positive for Covid-19. The former West Ham United loanee returned a positive test ahead of last Saturday’s 4-0 win over Everton, meaning he will not be available in time to face Leeds because of the Government guidelines he has to follow regarding self-isolating after testing positive.
A statement released by United read: “Unfortunately, Jesse Lingard is unavailable after testing positive for Covid-19. He is isolating in line with Government and Premier League Guidelines.”
He could return for United’s trip to Southampton in just over a week’s time if all goes to plan.
Marcus Rashford
Rashford will miss up to two months of the new season after taking the decision to undergo shoulder surgery. The United academy graduate played through Euro 2020 with both his shoulder problem and a foot injury, so some time out of the firing line will serve him well in the long-run. Earlier this week the United forward confirmed that his operation had gone well.
Marcus Rashford said: “Thank you for all the well wishes. I had my surgery on Friday morning and everything went very well. A little sore but other than that I’m feeling good. Hope you’re all having a great day!”
