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Man Utd’s Alexis Sanchez ruled out for “6 to 8 weeks” with ligament damage

Rishabh Gupta
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alexis sanchez injury

Alexis Sanchez has been ruled out for 6 to 8 weeks with ligament damage after he sustained the injury against Southampton.

Manchester United’s injury woes have gone from bad to worse.

The latest to add to the long list of players currently out with an injury is Alexis Sanchez. The Chilean attacker was substituted in the second half against Southampton after he felt uneasy on his knee.

It has now been confirmed that Sanchez is ruled out for two months due to damage to the medial ligament in his right knee.

An eight week lay off is likely to keep Alexis Sanchez out until the end of April, which raises doubts on whether he’ll play for the club again.

The Chilean attacker has had a torrid time ever since joining Manchester United in January last year. Sanchez has been largely reduced to the bench since the start of the season due to inconsistent performances.

 

After an injury to Anthony Martial, Alexis Sanchez was reinstated to the starting XI on Saturday against Southampton. However, he failed to impress before being substituted. His departure from the field coincided with a sudden surge in pace in United’s attack as Manchester United secured a late comeback win.

Fans and pundits alike have criticised Alexis Sanchez for a disappointing run of performances throughout the season. The fact that the Chilean is the highest-paid player – not only at the club, but in the league this season, makes things worse for him.

Sanchez arrived at Old Trafford in a swap deal with Henrikh Mkhitaryan in January 2018.

Pedro Onate, the physiotherapist of Chile’s national football team, stated that while the player is out for two months, he might be ready to play in the Copa America.

“We communicated with the player [Sanchez], he has had his scans and that’s the injury – there will be no problems for him to play in the Copa America [this summer] because it will be six to eight weeks without playing,” Onate told the El Mercurio newspaper in Chile on Sunday.

“The medial ligament is a troublesome injury but not so complex.”

Reinaldo Rueda, Chile’s manager, admitted that Alexis Sanchez’s disappointing form is a concern for the side.

“For sure it’s very worrying,” Rueda said. “We hope he overcomes this very quickly because he has all the quality, a track record, experience and quality to assert himself. I hope we can enjoy the Alexis we all knew again.”

For Manchester United and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Alexis Sanchez’s injury aggravates the concerns over selection as the side faces Paris Saint Germain in the second leg of Champions League’s round-of-16.

Manchester United trail 2-0 after PSG registered an easy victory over the side at Old Trafford.

In the attack, Sanchez joins Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard in the injury list. All of the first-choice midfielders are unavailable for the side. While Ander Herrera and Nemanja Matic are out with injuries, Paul Pogba is suspended for the game following a red card in the first leg.

There were speculations over Martial racing to be fit for the clash, but Solskjaer played down the rumours. The caretaker manager stated that the Frenchman is unlikely to be fit for the clash and that it would be unwise to rush him into the game.

Romelu Lukaku and Marcus Rashford are expected to lead the attack in a diamond formation against PSG.

Manchester United are currently fourth in the Premier League table and face a huge test this weekend, as the side takes on Arsenal. The Gunners are fifth in the league and dropped points in the North London derby last week.

A point separates both the sides at fourth and fifth place, while Chelsea are two points behind Manchester United with a game in hand.

About the author

Rishabh Gupta

Rishabh Gupta

A sports enthusiast. Sports, I believe, is one of the few powers which help us grow, both as an individual and society. With each day, in the rich world of sports, I grow.

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