ZLATAN’S OUT
Crocked striker to miss rest of season
ZLATAN Ibrahimovic could be sidelined for the rest of the year amid fears that he has ruptured the cruciate ligament in his right knee.
The Swede landed awkwardly and jarred his knee at the end of normal time in Manchester United’s Europa League quarter-final win over Anderlecht at Old Trafford on Thursday night.
It’s feared that he ruptured his ACL and may have suffered other ligament and cartilage damage. The lay-off for such an injury is between six and nine months, which could mean he is out until January.
The news is a huge blow to United’s hopes of winning the Europa League and finishing in the top four of the Premier League after the striker scored 28 goals in his first season in English football.
It also casts some doubt over Ibrahimovic’s prospects of staying at Old Trafford for a second year and extending his playing career beyond his 36th birthday in October.
Either way, his season is surely over along with his hopes of appearing in the final in his native Sweden next month.
Marcus Rashford is set to lead the line for the rest of the campaign — starting at Burnley tomorrow — after two man-ofthe-match performances against Chelsea and Anderlecht, and Wayne Rooney will come back into contention.
Manager Jose Mourinho also has problems in central defence after Marcos Rojo was carried off against Anderlecht, joining Chris Smalling and Phil Jones on the sidelines. ‘We are in trouble,’ said Mourinho. ‘In this moment, Eric Bailly played six matches in a row, and we lost Marcos Rojo. We don’t have Jones or Smalling.
‘We are in trouble and now we lose Zlatan too. But in attack, we have options and Rooney is coming, and let’s see if Juan Mata can also return before the end of the season.’ Speaking of his plans for Burnley less than three days after playing extra-time in Europe, Mourinho added: ‘Ander Herrera is fresh to play, Ashley Young is fresh to play and who else? There is nobody else to play.’
Rooney now has an opportunity to play a more active role in the final stage of his Old Trafford career. The England striker has drifted out the first-team frame since breaking United’s all-time goalscoring record in January, largely due to a succession of injuries and illness.
Rooney returned to the squad after a four-game absence on Thursday night but was an unused substitute after Mourinho chose to use Anthony Martial as Ibrahimovic’s replacement.
Mourinho said of Rooney: ‘He has a good mentality, he is a fighter. He is a strong man, even if he is not in the best condition, even if he is not in the level of sharpness that you need to play high-level football. But he has the experience and character, so he has to.’