The absence of a top centre-back can have a big impact on a team’s season. Liverpool fans will tell anybody who listens that their poor performances can be traced back to the moment Virgil van Dijk got injured.
No doubt that has had a big impact. Manchester United have a defender too whose absence has been sorely felt in recent games.
Eric Bailly has not played since United’s win over Fulham. Since then the team have conceded five goals in matches at home to Sheffield United and Everton and gained just one point from those games.
Bailly’s injury was reportedly a freak one. He was involved in a minor car accident before the Sheffield United match.
The Mirror reported he was a passenger in a car which skidded off road near Carrington and collided with a tree stump.
Aside: Even though he was not the driver and it was not his fault, this is the type of bad luck which seems to regularly befall Bailly. United would be best off ensuring he lives at Carrington and can’t go off grounds and get injured!
Bailly had been due to start against Sheffield United. Axel Tuanzebe replaced him and United struggled.
Maguire and Lindelof then predictably floundered against Everton’s physical threat at the weekend.
Dominant player
When Bailly played against Everton in the Carabao Cup in December, United dominated them.
The Ivorian is an imposing presence at the back and based on the performances from when he has played this season, he is United’s best defender, not Harry Maguire.
Bailly was not on the bench at the weekend although he was pictured in training last week. He’s clearly still working back to full fitness although details on the specific nature of his injury remain scarce.
What has been clear is that United have missed him. Bailly had a run in the team in early January and he was outstanding. He saved a late point against Aston Villa with a terrific sliding block.
It’s hard to imagine that he would have been beaten to the first header or the second ball for Everton’s late equaliser on Saturday night.
United need Bailly back as quickly as possible. With Harry Maguire he was beginning to form a strong partnership.
Victor Lindelof is a good player, but there’s something about his partnership with Maguire which doesn’t click. The pair are found wanting at key moments, and often get exposed against pacy, strong strikers.
Liverpool can talk about missing Van Dijk and they have, but it has been clear also over the last two weeks how much United miss Eric Bailly. He has that type of impact on the defence.
There is a chance he will be fit to return this week, either against West Ham in the cup or West Brom in the league. United need to start picking him regularly again. The team is weaker without him.
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