Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba is set for at least a month on the sidelines with a hamstring injury he picked up in his side’s 3-0 win over Basel on Tuesday.
The dynamic Frenchman was captaining the the Red Devils as they made their return to the Champions League. Despite the win, Pogba only lasted 19 minutes before being replaced by Fellaini.
While Fellaini did the job against Basel, there is no doubt the United Talisman will be missed in the features ahead.
Following the win, Jose Mourinho spoke on Pogba’s injury:
"“In my experience, muscular injury stops you from playing for a few weeks.”"
Mourinho later told United’s official site, “”It looks for me too but I haven’t spoken yet to the medical department.”
A few weeks may be optimistic by the manager, as injuries of this sort often take up to four weeks to get back to peak fitness.
Pogba has been at the heart of United’s dominating performances so far this season, already notching two goals and two assists. He seemed to finally be reaching the level that warranted his near £90m transfer fee.
While Pogba is recovering, Mourinho believes that United have more than enough depth and will be able to manage without the 24-year old.
“Squads are for this, squads are for injuries, squads are for suspensions. We don’t cry with injuries. So if no Paul for Sunday, we have Herrera, we have Carrick, we have Fellaini and we have Matic.”
More from Red Devil Armada
- Aaron Wan Bissaka out for ‘several weeks’ with injury
- Manchester United break an unwanted record after Brighton loss
- Sofyan Amrabat set to miss game against Brighton
- Preview: Manchester United vs Brighton – What you need to know
- Jadon Sancho set to train away from first team squad
This injury just makes Andreas Pereira’s loan that much more peculiar as he surely could have helped fill the large gap left by Pogba.
Despite that, United should be fine. Fellaini, oft-loathed by United fans, played relatively well against Basel.
Also ready to step up is United’s player of the season last year — Ander Herrera. The Spaniard has found himself relegated to the bench since the start of the season, however, he could finally find himself a regular in the team once again to the delight of the Old Trafford faithful.
“It’s tough to lose such a good player,” Victor Lindelof said after both his home and Champions League debut for the club on Tuesday. “But we have good players who can cover for him.”.
Next: Manchester United’s Lukaku: There’s plenty of goals in this team
The 24-year old will be missed, but United should have the depth and talent to make due without him for the time being. However, he’s an invaluable asset to the club, and they’ll hope he can return before the huge matchup with Liverpool on October 14.