The 7-0 win for Manchester United vs Barnsley was not something that has happened often under Erik ten Hag but something which has, injury to players, has also occurred to a loanee.
Radek Vitek, who is spending this season on loan in the Austrian Bundesliga with BW Linz, has suffered a serious injury.
Vitek has had a brilliant start to life with the team, dropping a man-of-the-match performance on his debut and recently playing a key role in a marquee derby victory.
He has immediately become a fan favourite and undisputed first-choice for the side so this will come as a huge blow for both, the player and the club.
BW Linz announce Radek Vitek injury
Vitek played the full 90 against LASK Linz and starred as the less fancied BW Linz upset their city rivals by a scoreline of 1-0.
Having driven the team to a surprise fourth position in the league after six games, Vitek was well on his way to give Man United a serious headache when he returned next season.
With their next game on September 21, the chance was there for the player to continue his solid streak in a top division.
However, BW Linz have announced that Vitek has sustained a tear to his medial and cruciate ligaments which is set to keep him out.
The club announcement says Vitek will be out “for several weeks”, which means that the tear is probably partial instead of full, which generally has a return span of 9-10 months.
Manchester United fans will remember Zlatan Ibrahimovic having the ACL injury which kept him out for nearly nine months and not many athletes manage to come back from it at full capacity.
However, the club’s diagnosis in this case of “several weeks out” is actually a boost since it means the tear is manageable.
This vague timespan is the only one provided in the update so it can’t be predicted when he’s expected to return but his season is definitely not done.
Successful loans so far
This is the first big setback United’s loan army has suffered this season as most of the moves have panned out well.
Vitek’s start to life has already been covered above, while Rhys Bennett recently scored his first senior goal for Fleetwood Town.
Joe Hugill broke his goalscoring duck vs Morecambe before helping himself to a brace in Wigan’s most recent game to announce his arrival.
Sonny Aljofree is yet to make an appearance for Accrington Stanley, while both Elyh Harrison and James Nolan have impressed in limited minutes.
Therefore, while Vitek’s injury is undoubtedly a setback, it could have been much, much worse so all his attention would be on coming back and returning to this list of successful loans so far.
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