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.
Stockport County defender Brad Hills ruled out for the rest of the season
Danny Jones
In a big blow to their promotion push, Stockport County have been hit with a major injury and loss to their first-team squad, as defender Brad Hills has been ruled out for what looks to be the remainder of the season and then some.
Not what Hatters will want to hear with crunch-time in and around the playoffs now well underway.
Having emerged as even more of a starring centre-back this year, following his initial loan spell with the club during the previous campaign, Brad Hills has arguably been one of Stockport’s best and most reliable players in 2025/26 thus far – but not County will have to do without him.
Although the exact severity is yet to be fully revealed, the former Norwich City youth academy graduate is said to have hurt his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).
Confirming the news on social media, the Greater Manchester side stated: “We regret to inform supporters that Brad Hills sustained an ACL injury in Saturday’s draw at Luton Town that will rule him out for the foreseeable future.
“Our full focus is on supporting Brad throughout his recovery – we know he’ll come back stronger”
For anyone unaware, ACL tears/ruptures are among some of the worst injuries in football, and depending on the extent of the damage, it can take anywhere between six months and a full year to bounce back.
Safe to say, therefore, that supporters have been left gutted by the update, with one commenting, “Awful, awful news”; another simply wrote, “FFS”.
After typing a very long expletive following the show news, fan podcast The Scarf Bergara Wore wrote: “Wishing Bradley Hills a speedy recovery – come back stronger!
Since becoming a permanent signing back in August, he’s earned multiple man-of-the-match awards in blue and white, not to mention contributed to a decent number of clean sheets. He’ll be a big miss in their backline.
While it’s no doubt a big setback as the League One team looks to get promoted into the Championship, the absence could see manager Dave Challinor reshuffle the pack and perhaps even the formation for the remaining fixtures.
One option is Louie Barry, who – depending on the setup – could finally be set for a return to the pitch after he was signed on a third loan deal this past January, but is still continuing his own rehab following a knee operation.
Put it this way, with not many games left, lots of County fans are probably wishing that the pending and potential further changes in the EFL could have come sooner…
Salford RLFC issue statement as head coach Mike Grady departs after less than three months
Danny Jones
Salford Rugby League Football Club have issued an official statement following the departure of head coach Mike Grady, who has left the role after less than three months in the job.
It has been insisted that this is not a sacking, but rather a joint decision to terminate his contract.
Grady, who took up the mantle at the start of this project following the end of the Salford Red Devils era, was only appointed on 5 January.
He had previously been in charge of the Red Devils’ women’s side over the past couple of years, but moved over to hopefully lead this new era forward.
As you can see, the club confirmed in a statement that they and Grady have “mutually agreed to part ways due to changes in his personal circumstances.”
They go on to write: “We are forever indebted to Mike for his unwavering commitment to the club. We want to thank him for all his hard work since taking on the role as Head Coach in very challenging circumstances in December.”
Also sharing a comment from former player turned CEO, Ryan Brierley, he said: “Mike came in as Coach at a time when the club had just come through one of its toughest times with the double impact of relegation and liquidation.
“He was willing to roll up his sleeves and bring stability to the club on the pitch. The fact we were able to field a team against Oldham in January, after only three weeks, speaks volumes about his commitment and determination. To beat Hunslet at home only four weeks later was a fantastic achievement.
“Mike will always be remembered as the person [who] strived and achieved the objective of sending out the first Salford team of this new era. A team running onto the pitch, after so much hard work, gave us all something to cheer about. We also remember how well he successfully guided our women’s team to third and fourth place finishes in the Championship.”
Sharing his own farewell message, he went on to add: “I want to thank Ryan for the opportunity to represent this great club and fan base. What we created at the start of the year was pretty special, and I’m proud to have built that.
“I’m happy to leave the club in a better place than I found it and wish the club all the best for the future.” Salford RLFC have already assured that they are now recruiting for his replacement.
Danny Jones -
1st August 2024 
