BAD NEWS FOR UNITED
Ibrahimovic could be out until January amid fears over ruptured cruciate ligament
MANCHESTER his rehab before the MLS season starts.
The veteran striker landed awkwardly and jarred his knee at the end of normal time in United’s Europa League quarter-final win over Anderlecht on Thursday.
It’s feared that Ibrahimovic ruptured his ACL and may have sustained other ligament and cartilage damage as well. The layoff for such an injury is between six and nine months.
His season appears to be over along with his hopes of appearing in the final in his native Sweden next month if United win their semi against Celta Vigo.
Marcus Rashford is set to lead the line for the rest of the campaign — starting at Burnley today — after two man-of-the-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 lafter 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 in extra-time.
The United boss later acknowledged that Rooney lacks match sharpness but accepts that he may have to call on the veteran striker in the final games of the season ahead of his expected departure in the summer.
Mourinho said: “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 highlevel football. But he has the experience and character, so he has to.”
The situation could also impact Rashford’s involvement in the European Under-21 Championships in Poland this summer.
England Under 21 boss Aidy Boothroyd wants Rashford in his squad but the 19-year-old has already made 49 appearances for club and country in his first full season, and it’s understood the FA will be sympathetic to his situation.
Indeed, Rashford has not played for the Under-21s since winning his only cap against Norway last September, and Mourinho believes it would be a backward step to include him.
“I just feel that when a player reaches a certain level, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to drop levels,” said Mourinho. “But the power is in their hands.” Daily Mail