Manchester United are sweating over the fitness of Harry Maguire after the centre-back went off injured in the late stages of their 3-1 win over Aston Villa.
United battled back to an impressive victory at Villa Park after Bertrand Traore’s wonderful finish had them trailing from the 24th minute. Bruno Fernandes got them level, before Mason Greenwood struck shortly after to put them in front.
It was around 20 minutes after Greenwood’s strike that Maguire came off worse in a 50/50 with Anwar El Ghazi and required treatment on the sidelines. It appeared to be an ankle issue, and he soon limped down the tunnel to be replaced by Eric Bailly.
It was the first time in Maguire‘s United career that he has been substituted off and the first time since signing from Leicester in 2019 that he had missed a minute of league action. But it’s not as if they missed him right away; soon after his withdrawal, Edinson Cavani struck a third to make sure of the three points.
But it’s a big concern for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer heading into a crucial few weeks for the club. They face Leicester on Tuesday and Liverpool on Thursday and have two more Premier League games before the Europa League final with Villarreal on 26 May.
It’s unclear how much time Maguire will miss with the injury, but it certainly puts him in doubt for the upcoming double-header with Leicester and the Reds.
If it proves to be a serious problem, it could have ramifications on England’s Euro 2020 campaign. Maguire is expected to start for the Three Lions but the Euros get started in four weeks’ time, with the deadline for naming squads falling on 1 June.
If Maguire is still struggling for fitness by then, it seems unlikely he will be named in Gareth Southgate’s squad for the tournament.
United will likely make an announcement on his condition on Monday or Tuesday after the club’s medical staff have had the chance to assess the situation.