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Football

19th Oct 2020

Man Utd facing defensive injury crisis ahead of PSG game

Simon Lloyd

Not to worry. Not like they’re up against Neymar and Kylian Mbappe

Following their return to the competition, the Champions League draw could have been far kinder to Manchester United.

As well as having to take on last year’s semi-finalists RB Leipzig in the group stages, they’ve also been pitted against beaten finalists Paris Saint-Germain.

United’s first game sees them travel to Paris – and the scene of their memorable last-gasp triumph against Thomas Tuchel’s side in 2019 – for what appears to be their trickiest group fixture.

It now appears to have become much more difficult too, following the news that Harry Maguire has been left out of the travelling squad.

Maguire’s form has been under the spotlight in the early weeks of the season after errors for both club and country. After scoring United’s first at Newcastle on Saturday night, reports have emerged that the defender will miss the trip due to an injury picked up at St James’ Park.

Who replaces him in the United defence remains to be seen, with Eric Bailly also missing through injury and Axel Tuanzebe short on match-fitness due to his own injury issues.

With PSG expected to name Kylian Mbappe and Neymar in their attack, it already promises to be stern test for United’s backline.

Speaking ahead of United’s trip to the French capital, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer also confirmed new signing Edinson Cavani will miss the chance to play against his former club, while Mason Greenwood also remains unavailable due to an unspecified injury of his own.

PSG duo Marco Verratti and Leandro Paredes will also miss the game for the French champions.