Laurie Whitwell of The Athletic reports there will be a Harry Maguire return when Manchester United face Aston Villa in the FA Cup. The Red Devils’ skipper missed Manchester United’s Premier League defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers with a rib injury.
Harry Maguire Return for FA Cup Tie
Injury
Maguire had played the full 90 minutes for United against Burnley but was discovered to have a rib injury, meaning he missed the match against Wolves. The England defender was replaced by Phil Jones who had not started a match for two years. The rib injury has been deemed to be minor, meaning that he will be available for selection for the tie against Villa on Monday, January 10.
Criticism
Maguire became the most expensive defender in Premier League history when he joined from Leicester City for £80 million but his recent form has been poor and he has come in for criticism amid United’s continued poor form despite the arrival of interim manager Ralf Rangnick.
Maguire has only missed seven games since joining the club and, despite the criticism, he may well be an option for the cup tie. Rangnick could play a back three, which he prefers, although in the second half against Wolves it did little to shore up the defence.
Despite his decline in form, Maguire is a capable player and the new Manchester United boss and Old Trafford faithful will be hoping for improved performances.
The United players have been given two days off from training, much to the consternation of some fans who feel performances are not at the level they should be and would be better-served training and picking up performances. The club are now in seventh place and slipping away from the top four which is a minimum expectancy at Old Trafford.
When the players return to training on Thursday, January 6, Rangnick will try to find solutions to what is becoming an ever-growing problem.
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