Erik ten Hag could only wonder where Manchester United would have found themselves had the Premier League giants stayed clear of the injury issues which have plagued their season.
Luke Shaw, Lisandro Martinez, Harry Maguire, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Casemiro, Kobbie Mainoo, Mason Mount and more have all missed long spells of the current campaign. Rasmus Hojlund, meanwhile, was consigned to four matches on the sidelines almost immediately after breaking a Premier League record, the youngest player in the competition’s history ever to score in six straight games.
If anything summed up Ten Hag’s second season at the Old Trafford helm, it was that. Almost as soon as Hojlund hit his stride as a Manchester United player, the Red Devils then had to travel to the Etihad Stadium without their top scorer.
“Imagine we had many more players available and not setbacks and injuries,” Ten Hag sighed at the start of March, via The Guardian. “(We) could easily have 75 wins (rather than the tally of 61 at the time).”
“It is a good balance in ages in this squad. Young players, middle-aged players… Imagine, when they are available, (we) could easily have won, from 100, games 75. It is a big difference.”
Did Kobbie Mainoo keep Man United away from Romeo Lavia
Of course, Ten Hag is not the only manager who has been forced to contend with an injury crisis during a season in which strains and muscle pulls have become alarmingly commonplace. The emergence of ‘Klopp’s kids’ owes much to a number of first-team absences at Anfield. Brentford and Newcastle, meanwhile, have fallen well below their usual standards with so many starters unavailable for extended periods.
Chelsea, meanwhile, confirmed that their £58 million summer signing will end his debut season at Stamford Bridge with just one appearance and 32 minutes of action under his belt.
“Midfielder Romeo Lavia is to unfortunately miss the remainder of our 2023-24 campaign following a setback in his recovery,” reads a statement on the Chelsea website.
“Recent medical assessments have confirmed that Lavia, who sustained a significant thigh injury against Crystal Palace back in December, will not feature again this season.”
Much was made of Chelsea beating Liverpool to Lavia last summer. According to The Mail, however, there was also interest from the likes of Arsenal and Man United in the former Southampton wonderkid, one of 2022/23’s breakout talents despite a dismal season for a Saints side who finished bottom of the table.
And it’s tempting to wonder if United would have made a more concerted push for Lavia had a certain 18-year-old sensation – one who possesses a strikingly similar skillset to the former City starlet – not caught the eye in pre-season.
By the time Chelsea signed Lavia in August, Kobbie Mainoo had already secured a place in Ten Hag’s plans following some superb performances against the likes of Arsenal and Leeds in the off-season, even if his eventual breakthrough was delayed until November due to his own injury issues.
Flash forward to late-March, and Mainoo is in the midst of the sort of campaign Lavia was enjoying, albeit in far more difficult circumstances, at Southampton. Whether the latter can bounce back and prove that he was still worthy of Chelsea’s near-£60 million investment remains to be seen.
Mason Mount is one mark against United, but can still make an impact
It’s not all bad news for Chelsea and good news for Manchester United. There was one signing made by the Red Devils this past summer who had had an awful time with injury too.
United elected to sign a more attacking midfielder, acquiring Mason Mount from Chelsea for £55 million. It’s a fee the Blues put towards signing Lavia.
Mount has had a poor season with injuries himself, but by comparison to Lavia, he’s been a picture of health, with 814 minutes played compared to 32.
That doesn’t detract from his transfer being a disappointment, with just seven starts, but Mount is currently fit, and hoping to make an impact in the second half of the season.
When Manchester United visit Stamford Bridge to take on Chelsea next week, Mount and Mainoo will both be fit. Lavia will be watching from home.
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