2 weeks Ago By Dale O'Donnell
Manchester United suffered a major blow in their defeat to Newcastle as Joshua Zirkzee went off with a hamstring injury.As was the case before Manchester United’s 4-1 defeat to Newcastle in the Premier League, Ruben Amorim’s focus is on the Europa League.United are preparing for a Europa League quarter-final second-leg tie against Lyon and they will be without Joshua Zirkzee after he sustained a fresh hamstring injury at the weekend.
Zirkzee was replaced by the struggling Rasmus Hojlund, who failed to make an impact on the game as United fell to defeat yet again.The Netherlands international limped off in the second half and has been undergoing tests to determine the extent of the injury.A hamstring tweak wouldn’t keep a player out for long, however, it would be a different case for Zirkzee if he’s pulled or torn the muscle.
That could see him out for a while.Ruben Amorim kept his cards close to his chest when asked on Sunday but made it clear that Zirkzee would miss the game against Lyon on Thursday night.Photo by Stu Forster/Getty ImagesJoshua Zirkzee faces extended period out with injuryAfter joining United from Bologna last summer for £36 million, Zirkzee has impressed of late, so the timing of his injury is very unfortunate, especially during an important period for Amorim’s team as they try to go all the way in the Europa League.
The 23-year-old was coming into his own under Amorim, although goals were still a shortage, much like Hojlund. That explains why United are being linked with strikers such as Liam Delap ahead of the transfer window.According to BBC Sport, Zirkzee will be out for an extended period with a hamstring injury.
The report suggests the Dutchman’s injury is worse than initially feared because it could mean that he misses the rest of the season.Amorim will address the situation at his press conference on Wednesday afternoon when he previews United’s crucial Europa League tie against Lyon, taking place at Old Trafford.Joshua Zirkzee stats this seasonThe timing of Zirkzee’s injury is a shame because he would have wanted to finish the current campaign with more goalscoring contributions.
The Dutch forward has scored seven goals for United since his arrival from Bologna and found the back of the net during the first leg in Lyon.GamesGoalsAssists4873Joshua Zirkzee stats for Manchester United this seasonZirkzee could miss United’s final six Premier League games if the injury is as bad as the BBC claims. He could also miss the Europa League final on 21 May if the Reds get that far.
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