McTominay on crutches as Scots sweat
MAN UTD ................. 4 NEWCASTLE ............ 1
SCOTLAND boss Steve Clarke faces another sweat as Scott McTominay left Old Trafford on crutches.
The 23-year-old midfielder was replaced by Paul Pogba at half-time as Manchester United moved four points off the top four.
Arsenal full-back Kieran Tierney faces a race against time to be fit for March’s Euro 2020 play-off with Israel after a shoulder operation.
And Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn joined him on the sidelines after fracturing his ankle last week.
On McTominay, United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said: “He’s done his ligament in the knee probably. I don’t know how bad, let’s see. But the boy has got the biggest heart.”
McTominay, booked after just 24 seconds, had played on until halftime after coming off worse in an early challenge with Sean Longstaff.
Sean’s younger brother Matty drilled Newcastle in front 17 minutes in when he found the bottom corner.
But the response was ruthless, Andreas Pereira teeing up Anthony Martial to rattle home seven minutes later. Mason Greenwood buried a 25-yard rasper and Marcus Rashford a Cristiano Ronaldo-esque header as Martial seized on Sean Longstaff ’s woefully under-hit pass for No.4 six minutes after the break.
Solskjaer compared Rashford to Ronaldo for his nodded goal while, on Greenwood he added: “Cristiano scores just as many with his left foot. Mason can curl with both feet – just an exceptional finisher.”
Toon boss Steve Bruce said: “I know it’s Christmas but we’ve given away more goals today than we have in three months.”