FC Barcelona and Manchester United are two European giants that will be encountering one another in an upcoming UEFA Europa League clash set to take place on the 16th of February to embark both sides upon the Round of 32.
While the Catalans have lost the services of Ousmane Dembele and Sergio Busquets for the time being due to unfortunate injuries, it is now confirmed that Manchester United themselves will be without the services of a handful of their own crucial players.
Manchester United manager and former Ajax coach Erik Ten Hag has himself confirmed that their Brazilian winger Antony, recently acquired from Ajax for a rather huge sum of money, Scottish midfielder Scott McTominay, Argentine defender Lisandro Martinez, Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen and French forward Anthony Martial will all be expected to miss the first leg of the clash against FC Barcelona in the Europe League.
The players now join midfielder Christian Eriksen and Lisandro Martinez among those who are injured or suspended, as they are all set to miss at least the first leg against their Catalan opposition come mid-February.
Antony has thus far featured 23 times this season for the Red Devils, having scored 5 goals and provided 1 assist for the Manchester side. Anthony Martial has featured relatively less, partly due to his side having recently also acquired the services of Dutch striker Wout Weghorst, having appeared for his side 14 times thus far this season, having scored 6 and set up his teammates on 2 occasions. Thirdly, Scott McTominay has made 24 appearances while scoring twice and assisting once in that same period.
Also being without the services of arguably their best defender, Argentine World Cup winner Lisandro Martinez, who has appeared 31 times this season for the English side and remains pivotal to their recent solid form, who will be unavailable due to suspension and will thus consequently miss the first leg of the Europa League clash alongside previously injured Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen, who himself has made 31 appearances as well for Manchester United this season, scoring twice while providing 9 assists.
All five players retained crucial roles under Erik Ten Hag’s guidance, with McTominay paired with ex-Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro in a 2-man pivot, Antony occupying the right side of the team’s offensive structure, Anthony Martial being more or less an able super-sub for the English side, Christian Eriksen being the team’s offensive central midfielder in their typical 2-man pivots and Lisandro Martinez prevailing as their primary pillar in central defense.
