Ex Arsenal defender praises Manchester United ace Eric Bailly

Add as preferred source on Google

Eric Bailly is the man of the moment after impressing in his comeback match for Manchester United.

This time Bailly had not been out injured, he was just simply overlooked.

The game away at Atalanta was Bailly’s first Champions League game since 2019. Last season he did not feature at all in the group stages (due to a combination of injury and not being selected).

The last game he played in the competition was the famous 3-1 win over PSG in March 2019, in which he was selected at right-back and substituted after 36 minutes.

This game against Atalanta was every bit as chaotic, but Bailly lasted all 90 minutes.

He was impressive, outlasting Varane, and outplaying Harry Maguire.

Aside from anything else, it was great to see Bailly back playing in Europe’s top competition and putting in a strong performance.

Bailly has a fan in former Arsenal defender Johan Djourou, a former Swiss international, who wrote on his Instagram after the game.

Djourou wrote that Bailly needs to be starting games and not sitting on the bench.

Will United get the message?

Bailly will feel like he proved a point to his doubters, including his manager.

He was the best player in United’s defensive unit against Atalanta and the main reason the team did not concede a third goal.

The past few weeks have been tough for Bailly on the sidelines.

Having lost so much of his career at United due to injury, it will be even worse for him to sit out when he is fully fit.

While he can feel satisfied with his performance against Atalanta, this will make it even tougher to take if he is left out again this weekend.

If Bailly is back on the sidelines, it will be undeserved. He has done enough to retain his place.

• What Tynan Thompson’s Manchester United transfer means for academy wonderkid Noah Ajayi
• Alex Scott’s contract standoff should not prompt Man Utd mega-bid, Bryan Robson agrees
• Tynan Thompson is already being fast-tracked by Man Utd, Michael Carrick clearly rates him highly
• Marcus Rashford will have a new Man United role involving Tynan Thompson when he returns
• Michael Carrick can hand a legacy-defining debut after wonderkid sighting in latest Man Utd training