Ander Herrera set for spell on sidelines with “bad” injury

Manchester United’s midfield has looked short-staffed for a while, though looks even flimsier in light of the goalless draw away at Sevilla on Wednesday. Ander Herrera was substituted with less than a quarter of the game gone, and José Mourinho suggested after the match that the Spaniard could be sidelined for quite a while with a muscular injury.

Quoted on the United website, Mourinho said:

“I think it’s a bad injury. The medical department gave [pronounced] him fully fit on Saturday. He trained on Saturday, Sunday and Monday and looked fit.

The way he was playing during the time he was on the pitch, he showed the intensity that is only possible when you are fit. He pressed a lot, really high; we started the match not giving one inch to [Éver] Banega. Then it was a backheel that created a contraction in the muscular area where he had the previous problem.”

Oh dear. Herrera may not be enjoying his best season, but it’s easy to forget quite how impressive he was at times last year, even attracting transfer attention from Barcelona. Let’s hope he’s not out for too long. For now, however, Scott McTominay may well be optimistic of an extended run in the first team.