For a player who has just one Premier League start this season due to injuries and competition, Eric Bailly is unusually happy.
Perhaps the positive message he sent out yesterday has something to do with the possibility he may get his second league start of the season tonight.
Bailly shared a picture from Wednesday’s training session alongside young right-back Ethan Laird.
Helping young players integrate into the first team set up can make a senior pro remember the privileged position they find themselves in, just when it has become a daily routine.
After the multiple injury setbacks Bailly has suffered during his four-year Manchester United career, he is clearly taking nothing for granted.
With young teammate Axel Tuanzebe ruled out until September with injury, at this crucial late stage of the season, United need Bailly more than ever before.
Victor Lindelof comes into this fixture nursing a back injury which saw him substituted at half-time against Bournemouth.
This makes Bailly likely to start and stake his claim to partner Harry Maguire at the back on a more long-term basis. He has been waiting for this opportunity, so no wonder he is feeling happy.
Not the only one feeling good
Jesse Lingard also seems inexplicably positive as he looks to kickstart his season.
He has failed to make six of the last eight matchday squads, and has played just two Premier League minutes Bruno Fernandes signed for the club.
Nonetheless Lingard is putting some positive energy out there into the universe and hoping things fall into place for him.
That’s pretty much all he can do right now. Work hard, and hope, because most fans would agree he has wasted the chances he has had over the last 18 months.
Lets see if he can finish strong, or at least get onto the bench tonight. Even that would seem like a little progress for the former England international at this point.
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