We’re not even at the Community Shield yet, and we’re still asking- is there a full blown injury crisis going at Manchester United? Last night saw Marcus Rashford and Antony both limp out of the Snapdragon Cup due to injury. Watching the match here in the United States, where United beat Real Betis 3-2 in San Diego, the announcer for the American broadcast thought Rashford was just diving at first.
“The referee didn’t buy it,” the broadcaster said, but this was no flop.
Liverpool FC vs Manchester United FYIs
Kickoff: Sat. Aug. 3, Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, South Carolina, 12:30am (BST), 7:30pm local
Competition: club friendly, branded the “Rivals in Red”
Starting XI Predictions: United Liverpool
Buy the book: Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America
Man United Team News
While Rashford walked on his own power off the pitch, his gait was noticeably affected by a significant limp.
Antony was limping too, and we’re awaiting further assessment on both. If the situations are significant, well then this is very problematic, as Leny Yoro is out three months with a fractured metatarsal and Rasmus Hojlund is out six weeks with a hamstring problem. We covered their situations in details previously, at this link and again at this link.
It looks like manager Erik ten Hag will have some selection issues here, when he takes his side way down south to the Palmetto state.
“Rivals in Red” Prediction: United 1, Liverpool 1
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.