Pogba out for 4 to 6 weeks | No Megathreads

[12OunceEpilogue]

A huge blow if true, especially for Liverpool game.
Guess we'll revert to our usual 'Hoof ball' football in his absence. I dread watching our games when he is not in team, he brings so much joy and fancy football, along with fantastic performances.
Especially when likely replacement will be Fellaini. To think some people here actually think he can replace our best player, regardless how effective he recently was, he is a huge downgrade on Pogba. He is lucky to be in the squad ffs
Hope we go with Herrera and Matic in midfield and give Herrera a run of games to get some form. He is fresh and will bite the chance imo.

Has anybody said that though? I think it's more the case that we have a run of decidedly winnable fixtures on paper leading up to the Liverpool game next month. Fellaini did well the other night against limited opposition and he, with the help of another maligned member of the squad in Young, got us the breakthrough after a few of our more exalted squad members had huffed and puffed without any tangible end product.

Jose likes him because of his unique attributes, his work ethic and his willingness to follow instructions. I accept that doesn't make him Pogba nor does it mean he'll necessarily be good enough against the very best teams in the world. But I think he'll rightly get minutes in this coming run in the absence of Pogba and will do well (I also agree Herrera will be hungry to get back into form and should be given the chance to do so).

 

[Inigo Montoya]

Who's going to hit the woodwork for us now?!

On a serious note, we should have enough quality in cover to see us through the next few weeks. The big test will be Liverpool.

 

[VP89]

Looks a lot better with Matic in there tbf. The others, Lukaku aside, are hot and cold. But yeah, most seem to be performing well at the moment so we should be alright.

I don't know.. Everton aren't a team to park the bus. Lukaku is on red hot form, mkhitaryan has 6 assists already and Rashford is scoring too. I reckon wel be fine.

 

[I Believe]

his work ethic and his willingness to follow instructions

Spot on! Jose wants people who carry out his instructions, on the pitch, they may not be the brightest, or the best, but they stick to the plan.
Talented people (all walks of life) can be difficult to managed, also the hard workers, because quite often with both these groups they are seen to be the 'best we have', they carry the skills factors, put in a shift etc., but there is also tendency for them to do what they want, rather than what the manager tells them to do!
Managerial headaches at times!

 

[AshRK]

I know this is entirely theoretical but if there's any chance that this was in any way caused by sending him off to play international football against a virtually irrelevant Dutch side and Luxembourg then I think clubs, who are now paying massive wages to these players, have to come down a little bit harder on releasing players for international duty. Make qualifiers for major tournaments have the same rules as the Olympics regarding player choices, they're so boring anyway it would at least be a bit interesting to see up and coming players on a major stage.

This is potentially really shite news as he's the one CM we don't have any natural cover for without changing the way we play.

Club football is great and fine but most of the players love to play for the country and you cannot take that away from them. However they need to stop with these meaningless friendlies , they are one gigantic waste of time for everyone.

 

[Android1974]

We didn't send Pereira out on loan, he forced the loan. Jose was clearly annoyed by it and wanted him to stay.

He forced? He expressed his wishes, that's all. Liverpool didn't sell Coutinho and we had to loan A.Pereira? That's funny.

 

[Android1974]

A big loss no doubt but I'm hoping his early retirement from the match prevented a slight pull from becoming a bad pull or worse, a tear. I doubt it will be the latter. A few weeks at least though.
But in the mean time, with Matic (or occasionally Carrick/Herrera) protecting the otherwise pretty strong back-four partnerships, we have plenty in reserve. Enoiugh I believe to give any team, including the other top 5 teams a very good run for their money, beat most of them most days, and rarely lose with any of the permutations we choose (see below).

I'm not suggesting our CB's are not fallible but with Matic we are much improved over last year at the back (when we conceded very little) and especially if Young can maintain his Tuesday night standard. Shaw is near it seems to a come-back for the first team and hopefully he plays well when he does!

We do have a strong squad filled with both specialists AND players flexibility in terms of the positions they are comfortable and more than competent in.

Every team is going to suffer with injuries as the season progresses, especially those playing in tough, European match-ups but our depth (and maybe City's) will prevail!

And in Mou I trust ...

DDG

Valencia Jones Baily Blind
(Darmian) (Smalling) (Lindelof) (Shaw)
(Young)
Matic
(Carrick or Herrera)
Mata Fellaini
(Lingard) (Herrera)
(Young)

Mhiki Lukaku Rashford
(Mata) (Rashford) (Martial)

Plus we have Rojo & Ibra to come back as well as a couple of youngsters I haven't mentioned.

This will be a test ... one we need to pass!

If that was going to happen, and it isn't, it would be Mkhitaryan in the midfield three and Mata on the right wing. At least we know Mourinho once used Mkhitaryan there on a friendly, although in 3-5-2. Absolutely no chance Mata in midfield, in my opinion.

 

[George Beast]

I'm not worried. Last season this would have been an absolute disaster, but while he's a loss we're a much more balanced side this season. We have goal scoring machine up front, players who create loads of chances in Mkhi and Mata, and a solid defence. Pogba's obviously our best player but certainly not that important that we can't function without him. Amazing the difference Matic made and I agree with others who say he'd be a bigger loss.

 

[SSSSnake]

To be fair i'd rather have Pogba out in these early months rather then April/May time.
We can't be too reliant on Pogba. We need the rest of the team to step up. We proved yesterday we still have plenty of goals in us. Why not against Everton?

 

[Seveneric]

Sucks, but all that money spent should have ensured United have a team that (while not as good) can still function and win games with Pogba.

If they don't, then that's on Mourinho and/or Woodward.

 

[Zlatattack]

Herrera & Matic should be fine for the Everton and Palace games, but a midfield three with Fellaini coming in for Southampton away and Moscow away.

Agree. In the tricky fixtures try a 433 with Matic, Herrera and Fellaini. We should be fine.

 

[SirAF]

"A month out would rule Pogba out of the Premier League games against Everton, Southampton, Crystal Palace and Liverpool as well as the Champions League game away to CSKA Moscow and the League Cup third round tie at home to Burton Albion."

Only really need him for the Pool game and the CSKA one.

This.

 

[Dante]

European teams always struggle against Fellaini.

He'll smash it (literally) in the CL this season. Hell, even Real Madrid couldn't deal with the guy in the Supercup. Isco was their best player until Fellaini came on, and then Zidane substituted him off the pitch because he couldn't cope with the increased physicality.

PL sides are inured to Fellaini, but the likes of CSKA will have a surprise on their hands. Everton, Palace and Southampton are winnable with the squad we have.

 

[Cee90]

Who's going to hit the woodwork for us now?!

Ed Woodwould.

 

[Android1974]

I'm afraid this will revert us back to our cautious waiting for the adversary move 4-3-3, perhaps Mourinho will feel the midfield two cannot hold in most games without Pogba. At least Southampton and CSKA away are now dead sure 4-3-3 (or 3-5-2, maybe).

 

[AltiUn]

"A month out would rule Pogba out of the Premier League games against Everton, Southampton, Crystal Palace and Liverpool as well as the Champions League game away to CSKA Moscow and the League Cup third round tie at home to Burton Albion."

Only really need him for the Pool game and the CSKA one.

Everton and Southampton won't be easy games at all.

 

[Sparky Rhiwabon]

I imagine he'll be back for the Anfield game. The reported timescales conveniently encompass the international break

 

[minoo-utd]

Hope he needs only 3-4 weeks to recover and no more. Herrera must takes the chance when it's given, no he should and must step up for the team and him self he has been so poor, that's why I reckon Jose will stick with Fellaini the man who gives all he can.

 

[Shark]

He'll be back sooner than it's always presumed to be. He's a physical beast.

 

[Rado_N]

Can the tread title please be changed to reflect the fact that it's a complete guess?

 

[Todd]

I'd use this as an opportunity to test having both Martial and Rashford on the pitch for a run of games.

----------------Lukaku----------------
Martial------------------------Rashford
-----------------------------------------
------------Henrick/Mata--------------
-----------------------------------------
--------Matic------Herrera-------------

 

[Shuriken]

What the fecking feck…

 

[Android1974]

I'd use this as an opportunity to test having both Martial and Rashford on the pitch for a run of games.

----------------Lukaku----------------
Martial------------------------Rashford
-----------------------------------------
------------Henrick/Mata--------------
-----------------------------------------
--------Matic------Herrera-------------

So, we lose a deep-playmaker midfielder and add a wide-forward to the equation, having just one playmaker on the pitch? Unless we go for counterattack…

 

[Green_Red]

Matic Mikhataryan Mata should be thr main three in mid.

 

[Von Mistelroum]

That's a massive blow for us. Herrera has looked poor lately and Fellaini just isn't good enough to fill those boots.

 

[Judas]

The timing could be so much worst honestly, we'll do alright, thankfully our fixture list isn't that difficult, we just have a lot of games.

 

[Yakuza_devils]

While I think that the team should be able to cope without Pogba in this period of time but I can't help to have deja vu feeling from last season when everything went south after our excellent start where we won the first 3 games of last season.

The next few games will show the team real characters whether they have what it takes to go far in EPL and CL. Hopefully, this season is the real deal.

 

[Judas]

Matic Mikhataryan Mata should be thr main three in mid.

We'd get dominated with that midfield three, why would that be a good idea at all?

 

[Lentwood]

If we can't cope without Pogba for 6 games then what kind of a side are we anyway? We do seem cursed with injuries though - again I am loathe to criticize Jose ever because he is a genius, but why are we starting Pogba in a home game against Basel when he has played 3 games in 8 days already?

My bet is - we say Pogba will be out for Liverpool, don't play him up until then and then spring him on them last minute

 

[Marcky411]

It's difficult to expect Pogba's level from Herrera and Fellaini going forward. Herrera and Fellaini would hardly be considered a goal threat. Regardless of whether Fellaini scored against Basel or not.

Considering the amount of game time Pogba played last and this season and the amount of shots to goals ratio Pogba (2 goals this season) had/has, I would guess that Fellaini (2 goals this season) is the greater goal threat. Up until now Mourinho has used Fellaini every time we are chasing a goal or to close out a game. Due to his physicality and threat in the opponents box, Fellaini is our battering ram and his presence helps break open defences creating space for others to score.

 

[Shark]

Can the tread title please be changed to reflect the fact that it's a complete guess?

Exactly. It's always the same exaggerated bullshit in the media when a big player gets injured. Pogba won't be out for 6 weeks ffs.

 

[VanGaalEra]

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

 

[whatwha]

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

"At least 5 weeks"

 

[RDCR07]

Everton and Southampton won't be easy games at all.

Everton is a home game. We can manage. Soton a bit more difficult but I think we will grind out a 2-1 win.

 

[SATA]

The only injury he got last season was also a hamstring, wasn't it? He made it just back in time for the last league game and the europa final

 

[Leftback99]

We lack creativity without him so i'm expecting us to struggle over the next few games like we did last season.

 

[JustinC00]

He forced? He expressed his wishes, that's all. Liverpool didn't sell Coutinho and we had to loan A.Pereira? That's funny.

quote from Jose

"It was a personal decision that I don't agree with, a decision I don't think honestly is the best decision for him, a decision that disappoints me."

quote from Pereira

"But for me individually and for the options to play it was better to be here. Because it was better to come to Valencia to play games and help"

Sounds to me like Pereira was dead set on going on loan to Valencia.

 

[RedDevil@84]

Good opportunity for Herrera to get a run and be awesome once again

 

[Jaybomb]

Fellaini will step up. He always does.

 

[BusbyMalone]

Best case scenario he'll be back for the Liverpool game? Was really hoping he would be back for this one. Suppose there's a chance, fingers crossed

Really need him for that