It’s a cruel way for Antony’s debut season to end, if his injury is indeed deemed serious. That seemed to be the general consensus when he went down in agony following Trevoh Chalobah’s tackle in Manchester United’s 4-1 win over Chelsea on Thursday.
He was distraught when taken off on a stretcher before the clock ticked 30. Erik ten Hag was equally as concerned, saying that he would be assessed but the picture didn’t look good. It’s probable he will miss next week’s FA Cup final with Manchester City.
The question then turns to who fills the void for both that game but firstly, against Fulham this afternoon. The majority of Marcus Rashford’s 30 goals this season have come when he has played on the left wing.
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It’s worth noting that the England star hasn’t done too badly on the right flank, scoring two in four appearances for United having also found the net from the position against Iran for the Three Lions at the World Cup.
But ideally, Ten Hag will want to keep him on the left with Anthony Martial leading the line as the central striker. Alejandro Garnacho has played just 17 minutes on the right all season.
That came in the Europa League group stage home loss to Real Sociedad and the 18-year-old has not played there since. Besides, he’s flourished in his more natural left wing slot.
Ten Hag seems to have learned his lesson from playing Bruno Fernandes out on the wing and so is unlikely to fill the void. With Facundo Pellistri not yet having enough minutes under his belt, it leaves Jadon Sancho to take up the position.
He is the obvious choice, after all. Ten Hag has backed the winger despite consistently tepid performances and frustration from some sections of the fanbase.
These next few weeks could be pivotal for Sancho regarding his role in the long-term United project. Garnacho is quickly becoming the preferred back-up to Rashford on the left - but it seems as though Sancho is more suited on the right anyway.
Sancho has scored two goals in 10 games in that position and also provided the assist for Anthony Martial’s goal after switching flanks in the win over Chelsea.
It’s a slightly better ratio than his three goals and two assists in 19 games on the left, and perhaps with more game time there, it might have beeen stronger.
He looked in formidable form during the pre-season tour on the right of a front three trio with Rashford and Martial, netting three times in all. His stylish goal against Liverpool came when he was operating on the right.
That’s the only top six side he has found the net against this season. Of course, Ten Hag was never going to bench £85m deadline day signing Antony, which has been much to the detriment of Sancho.
The Brazilian arrival immediately backed up his manager with three goals in his first three Premier League games - a first for a United player - and has produced a greater output than Sancho ever since.
But with the former Ajax man certainly sidelined, Sancho is the natural replacement and must use the opportunity to make a point to Ten Hag. The opportunity presents an unexpected but golden chance to re-establish himself into the first-choice starting XI picture.
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