Manchester United have been dealt a double injury blow ahead of the upcoming Premier League season as striker Rasmus Højlund and new signing Leny Yoro are set to miss the start of the campaign, with the latter expected to be out for significantly longer.
The Red Devils had an injury-littered 2023/24 across various parts of the pitch but particularly in their defensive ranks, so recently signed defender Yoro finding himself already sidelined will come as tiresome news to United fans.
Worse still, with Raphaël Varane and Willy Kambawala both having left the club this summer, Erik ten Hag has even fewer central defenders at his disposal and will likely have to call on the likes of Jonny Evans again to fill in for more games than initially planned.
Yoro, 18, came off against Arsenal in Man United’s opening game of the pre-season tour in the US last week with a foot injury and it has now been revealed he will be out for up to three months.
Leny Yoro will be out for up to three months while Rasmus Hojlund is expected to be out for six weeks following injuries against Arsenal in pre-season for Man United 🔴🚨 pic.twitter.com/oKVn2hoLpn
Having suffered a similarly big setback with Lisandro Martinez also suffering a long-term injury last season, it does feel a bit like déjà vu.
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As for 21-year-old Højlund, who has now claimed the number nine shirt after a decent debut season with the club, he was also hooked off just minutes into the game against the Gunners.
While it was evident that the Danish striker had pulled up on his hamstring, it was unclear as to how serious the injury was, but indications now show that he is due to be out for approximately six weeks – another significant setback for the 23/24 FA Cup winners whose league finish was their worst ever.
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Although losing their main striker before the season has already begun is far from ideal, United do at least have a healthier selection of attacking players including new forward Joshua Zirkzee and the return of Jadon Sancho, whose beef with the manager appears to have been put to bed.
Sancho looks to be in the Dutchman’s plans once again after rediscovering some form back on loan at Borussia Dortmund and looking bright in pre-season thus far, nearly scoring in their 3-2 victory over La Liga side Real Betis in the early hours on Thursday morning before it was ruled out for offside.
It was the Reds’ first win of the US tour and Amad Diallo is also looking like he might break into the first-team as a more regular starter and help lighten the load in Højlund’s absence, netting a second impressive strike against the Spanish club after also bagging in a recent friendly against Rangers.
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Nevertheless, the news of Højlund’s hamstring problems and Yoro’s fractured metatarsal is the last thing they and the fans will want to hear just over a fortnight away from the new season getting underway.
It remains to be seen whether Man United will do any more business in the transfer window, especially now the double injury blow they are without two presumably key players in ten Hag’s first-choice squad.
They were linked with a new midfield signing last month and have reportedly even ‘agreed terms’ but there have been very few updates on whether the deal has progressed any further.
Tickets go live as opening date is announced for Manchester City’s new ‘immersive’ museum experience
Emily Sergeant
Tickets to visit Manchester City’s new ‘immersive’ museum experience have officially gone live ahead of the grand opening.
Set to open in the heart of the £300m Medlock Square entertainment district at Manchester’s Etihad Campus next month, the Manchester City Museum Experience will be spread across 10 distinctive spaces – with visitors invited to take a trip down memory lane with nostalgic environments from throughout the club’s history.
Fans will also be able to take part in interactive media experiences, like posing with all 48 major trophies won by the club’s first teams or trying their hand at football punditry.
The experience will combine the latest immersive technology with physical memorabilia drawn from across the club’s history to do this.
Hidden details and surprising ‘did you know’ facts are set to be embedded across the experience, so that even the most devoted Man City fans will have the chance to discover something new about the club they love.
By combining interactive environments, technology, and authentic artefacts, the experience is aiming to appeal to a wide audience – from lifelong Manchester City supporters, to families and those with a broader interest in football, culture, and the city of Manchester.
“The Museum Experience has been designed as a destination that goes beyond just the pitch,” commented Jeremy Maxton, who is the Director of Visitor Attractions at Manchester City Football Club.
Manchester City releases CGIs and important details of its new ‘immersive’ museum / Credit: Manchester City / Ralph Appelbaum Associates (RAA)
“Whether you’re a lifelong supporter, visiting Manchester for a weekend, or simply looking for a unique day out, we’ve created an experience that offers something for everyone.
“From the recreated environments and original memorabilia to the interactive elements, there are different ways into the Club’s history throughout the Museum.
“We’ve also built in space for new stories to be added over time, so the experience can continue to evolve. It’s been a huge project to bring together and we’re looking forward to people seeing it for themselves later this year.”
The Manchester City Museum Experience officially opens on 14 December, and you can now book tickets to visit from that date here.
Featured Image – Credit: Manchester City / Ralph Appelbaum Associates (RAA)
Sport
Details released of Andy Burnham’s meetings with Manchester City owners while Mayor
Emily Sergeant
Details of Andy Burnham’s meetings with Manchester City owners during his tenure as Mayor of Greater Manchester have been released.
In case you need bringing up to speed on the situation a little first, Manchester City was found guilty back in September all of its charges related to the Premier League’s financial rules over a nine-season period, and on top of that, was also found guilty of the majority of charges in relation to its failure to co-operate with the League’s investigation.
According to the Premier League, the independent Commission found that Manchester City had arranged so-called ‘sham’ commercial deals with a number of its sponsors.
These were part of a disguised funding scheme – with those sponsors only required to pay a portion of the relevant sponsorship fees.
The remainder was then funded by Abu Dhabi United Group Investment & Development Ltd (ADUG), which owned the club.
The Commission also concluded, as quoted by the Premier League, that the club had ‘made concerted efforts to stop and frustrate the Premier League investigation’.
Within the past week or so, it has since come to light that now-Prime Minister Andy Burnham had dealings with Manchester City during his tenure as Greater Manchester Mayor, and Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has now issued a public statement, giving details on the matter and what these ‘dealings’ entailed.
A spokesperson for GMCA confirmed that Burnham had a ‘formal meeting’ with Man City Chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, back in October 2021.
The statement reads in full: “In October 2021, Andy Burnham, in his role as Mayor of Greater Manchester, had a formal meeting with Khaldoon Al Mubarak at the UK Government’s Global Investment Summit arranged by the Department for International Trade.
“In his capacity as Mayor, he was a guest of Manchester City FC at home matches on a small number of occasions, including attending Vincent Kompany’s testimonial match in September 2019, where he met the Chairman informally in the stands. These have been declared in the usual way.
“Also during his time as Mayor, representatives of Greater Manchester sporting clubs would routinely join business delegations as part of Mayoral international visits.
“This included representatives from Manchester United travelling to Austin and Dublin, Lancashire Cricket Club joining a delegation to India, and Manchester City FC staff supporting visits to China and Japan.”
Featured Image – Lauren Hurley / Number 10 Downing Street (Press Image via Flickr)
Danny Jones -
1st August 2024 
