Manuel Ugarte faces up to a year on the sidelines after the severity of his injury was confirmed.
Manchester United midfielder Manuel Ugarte was stretchered off during Uruguay’s World Cup group stage defeat to Spain.
Ugarte suffered a serious injury that has now been confirmed as a torn ACL. The Uruguayan is now in for a long recovery.
The former Sporting and Paris Saint-Germain midfielder has now written a lengthy message to fans reflecting to his misfortune.
If Manuel Ugarte’s injury is as bad as feared, what should Man United do?
It is claimed Ugarte could miss 9-12 months through his knee injury.
Manuel Ugarte’s message in full
“A few days have passed since everything happened.
“Suffering the most serious injury a footballer can face in one of the most important matches in my country’s history, and seeing it end this way without being able to stay on the pitch and support my teammates until the final whistle, is something that will stay with me for the rest of my life.
“Hitting rock bottom will make me stronger in every sense, and I truly believe that’s the case here.
“Without a doubt, when life wants you to stop, it finds a way to let you know.
“It’s up to me to take the positives from this. Success in life is about starting again every time you fall.
“I’m incredibly grateful to @aufoficial and @manutd for being there for me from the moment it happened.
“A huge thank you as well to my family, my friends, and everyone who has sent me messages of support during this time. I’ll be back stronger.”
Repercussions for United
Manuel Ugarte was facing an uncertain future at Manchester United prior to the injury. He was a candidate to be sold this summer.
A sale won’t be possible now, and realistically it won’t be next summer either. United will likely have to loan Ugarte out in 2027 so he can rebuild his career, with a view to a fee in 2028.
United will receive compensation from FIFA, but it won’t cover the loss of a substantial transfer fee the club planned to generate this summer.
It does emphasise United’s need to strengthen in midfield. Casemiro’s exit has already left United light in the area.
Kobbie Mainoo, Mason Mount and new signing Ederson are United’s only options, along with promoting academy talents.
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