Manchester United may well be the richest team in the world, but this season they could be considered the unluckiest.
The Red Devils have more than ten regulars currently injured, and there seems to be an additional casualty every passing Premier League fixture.
During these hardships, manager Louis van Gaal has come under immense pressure to perform despite his half his squad being unavailable, with fans now urging the Dutch manager to purchase new players come January.
If he can keep the injuries limited, then United will undoubtedly have one of the strongest lineups in the division to match even the likes of ‘champions elect’ Chelsea
Here are FIVE Recovering Man United stars that’ll be as good as new signings:
[ffc-gallery] CLICK ON MICHAEL CARRICK TO SEE THE FULL LIST!
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Michael Carrick
Michael Carrick is seen by many as one of the best midfielders in the country, and rightly so as the England international is extremely composed on the ball and able to dictate play in the middle of the park.
His accurate passing and leadership keeps a team in possession, a quality that has been sorely missed in the Red Devils set-up this season.
Carrick managed to play a full 90 minutes against Arsenal and things look bright for the 33-year-old, but it will take some time for the former Tottenham Hotspur star to settle into an almost completely new team and emulate his form of the 2012-2013 season.
Daley Blind
Probably the biggest blow to Manchester United recent upturn in form is the extremely impressive Daley Blind. The versatile Dutch star has the ability to play centre-back, left-back, and defensive midfield… and being equally brilliant at all of it.
Blind’s determination, composure, and tackling will however be unavailable for around four months after the Dutchman sustained knee ligament damage and Louis van Gaal hopes he recovers quickly to slot in possibly alongside Michael Carrick come February.
Radamel Falcao
At the beginning of the summer transfer window it would have been ludicrous to predict that Radamel Falcao would be a target for Manchester United, but the Colombian joined on a £5.3million loan deal at the end of August to add to the Red Devils already impressive attack. However, the purchase came with a risk, and that danger was Falcao’s niggling knee injuries after a serious ligament tear back in January.
The Colombian is still recovering from his long-term problem but if the United medical team are able to mend Falcao, the former FC Porto star is undeniably one of the best strikers on the planet. Just ask Chelsea.
Phil Jones
Phil Jones was purchased from Blackburn Rovers in the summer of 2011 with the label of being the ‘next John Terry’, and in his first season with the Red Devils many were mightily impressed with the English youngster.
The centre-back was good with his feet and a threat in the opposition box, something which fitted in well in Sir Alex Ferguson’s buccaneering system.
With the departures of Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand from the United back-line, Jones was the player expected to fill their shoes but injuries have derailed his season thus far. Jones will need to play consistently at centre-back if he is to progress to marshal a back-line like the Blues captain.
Ander Herrera
When David Moyes was appointed as Man United manager in the summer of 2013, Ander Herrera was heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford. However a deal couldn’t be reached, and the former Everton boss bought Marouane Fellaini instead.
The Red Devils did finally land Herrera this past summer, and there was a reason they were so keen initially a year earlier. Herrera is an extremely composed midfielder, able to direct or pass or bring the ball up the field and direct play. However, what goes under the radar is his tenacity, as the Spaniard does his fair share of tackles in the middle of the park.
The Spaniard is an all-round midfielder, and should be used whenever available… which hasn’t been on a consistent basis yet this season.
