Eric Bailly has not played in any of Manchester United’s last two games and has sat on the bench.
And his name has not stayed out of the press either. There have been rumblings Bailly is unhappy, first reported by The Sun, and then later by Sky Sports.
There are two versions of events, and neither paint Bailly in a particularly good light.
Injured again
The first one is the club’s official line. Bailly was unfit to travel to AC Milan and did not go to Italy.
He failed to make the substitute’s bench against Leicester at the weekend.
It made no sense to leave Bailly out for any other reason. Axel Tuanzebe is United’s only other fit central defender and he has made just one Premier League start in 2021.
Another injury, even minor, is a bad sign for United. Bailly has only just played his 100th game for the club, four and a half years after his £30 million move from Villarreal. Harry Maguire is already up to 98.
ESPN reported at the start of March that United were weighing up whether to offer Bailly a new deal, and it depended on him proving his fitness. His latest injury, at a key point in the season, is yet further evidence he cannot be relied upon.
Unhappy at being third choice
The reports from The Sun and Sky Sports focus on Bailly feeling undervalued.
Both stories quote an insider, likely to be a pal of Bailly’s, expressing unhappiness at being third choice and not getting enough games.
It’s hard to take this seriously when he was not passed fit to play these two latest fixtures.
Whether he would have started in Milan, or against Leicester, is open for discussion.
If he had been dropped for both, then his frustration would be understandable. But when he simply has not been fit to even make the bench, then Solskjaer’s stance and preference for Victor Lindelof adds up.
Bailly’s contract expires in June 2022 and Sky Sports‘ report claims Bailly fears his deal could be extended simply to be sold on in the future.
If Bailly wants to leave and go where he is valued more, United may seek to cash in this summer.
It would be a sad way for his United career to end. Bailly is an outstanding player, a great character, and arguably United’s best defender since Nemanja Vidic. But he just can’t stay fit.
United deciding to cut losses, sell him and get a fee, and bring in a new centre-back would be understandable given his lack of reliability.
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