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Manchester United were gallant, to say the least, on Sunday. Like legendary warriors, the bruised and battered Red Devils were stung in battle, but refused to give up against Liverpool. For this was a war where a lot more than 3 points were on the line. This was a war which had pride on the line and Solskjaer's men would not surrender.
At the end of the 90 minutes, United had given a pretty good account of themselves even with the odds against them. They had battled on to avoid defeat, but the collateral damage was shocking. At the end of the night, United had 4 players added to a now growing injury list and it is a cause of huge concern for Solskjaer.
With games coming thick and fast and the race to the coveted 4th place far from over, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be devastated with the latest set backs. Today, we look at the 5 crucial Manchester United players currently injured and how their absence might wreck Solskjaer's plans.
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#5 Jesse Lingard
The Englishman was injured during the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 tie, against PSG, at home and did not feature against Chelsea.
He started from the bench against Liverpool, but Solskjaer revealed before the game that Lingard was not fit enough for the entire 90 minutes. However, Juan Mata picked up an injury in the middle of the first half and Solskjaer gambled with the Englishman, sending him in earlier than expected. Sadly, it was a move that backfired.
Lingard lasted just around 15 minutes, before he had to be replaced by Sanchez. The extent of his new injury is not known yet, but the Englishman could be out for a longer time now, after aggravating his injury. This will be a big blow to United, because of what Lingard brings to this team.
His running and energy is a big positive in the final third and Lingard has the ability to play across the front three. His understanding with Martial and Rashford is fantastic and together, the three of them are one of the most dangerous attacking trios in the league right now. His absence, as such, is a big set back for Solskjaer's plans.
#4 Anthony Martial
The Frenchman, when fit, is one of the first names on the team sheet of late. However, like Lingard, Martial was injured in the game against PSG and it can be said that his absence was dearly felt in that game.
The fact that he has missed the Chelsea and the Liverpool game - both extremely crucial ties for Manchester United - shows the extent of his injury. Now, with an ever growing injury list, Solskjaer will be hoping that he can recall his mercurial Frenchman soon enough as United struggle to put 11 senior players on the pitch.
When Martial starts from the left, Manchester United are a totally different team. The Frenchman's partnership with Luke Shaw has blossomed to a level of brotherhood - the two of them complement each other brilliantly. And the Frenchman's movement and precision on the ball from the left hand side is unmatched right now.
The Manchester United left side is perhaps their strongest area of the pitch and Anthony Martial is the star of the show from there. His performance across the front three, of late, has been nothing short of brilliant.
As such, his Norwegian manager will be desperate to have him back, because Martial's absence jeopardizes most of Solskjaer's plans.
#3 Nemanja Matic
The Serbian's importance to this Manchester United team was evident in the fact that Matic had started all but one of Solskjaer's 13 matches prior to the Liverpool game. From a player who looked tired and ineffective under Mourinho to regaining his old stature back under Solskjaer - Matic transformation under the Norwegian has been nothing short of miraculous.
While Solskjaer deserves all the credit for turning the Serbian's season around, Matic has repaid that favour by a brilliant run in the middle of the park. He is the support that allows Ander Herrera and Paul Pogba to flourish and immerse themselves in their duties without worries. He is the stability that provides confidence to the United back four and more often than not, he is also the source of exquisite balls from the back that open up the opposition.
As such, Matic's absence in this team will be a big blow for his Norwegian manager. He could miss up to three weeks, after picking up an injury in the build up to the Liverpool game. In his absence, Solskjaer has turned to McTominay, but in truth, very few players in the world could replace Matic in this team. As such, the Norwegian's prolonged absence will be a devastating blow to Solskjaer's plans.
#2 Ander Herrera
Perhaps the biggest setback on Sunday would be the injury picked up by Ander Herrera in the first 20 minutes. The Spaniard pulled his hamstring and was forced to exit the game pretty early. His absence will be a deafening blow to United's current form, because, he is arguably United's most important player right now.
Herrera brings an infectious energy to this team that charges up the players. He is the unsung hero on the pitch, the dark night who rarely takes the credit but is integral to everything good coming out of Solskjaer's team. He is a leader on the ground and his intelligence makes him an invaluable asset to United.
The Spaniard is crucial in breaking down the opposition play and pops up everywhere on the pitch. He takes responsibility and is very clever with his assessment of the game. And when he has the ball, he uses his technical abilities and fantastic passing range to unlock defenses. He is the engine room in this United team that brings the best out of Pogba and Matic and together, the three of them has been at the heart of all the recent success.
As such, Herrera's injury will hurt Solskjaer the most. There is no player in the United squad who can replicate all the qualities of the Spaniard and his absence will give his Norwegian manager a lot of headache.
#1 Marcus Rashford
There is a spark about Marcus Rashford of late. After being installed as the preferred No. 9 in Solskjaer fluid system, the English youngster has not looked back. He has been brilliant so far for Manchester United, however, against Liverpool on Sunday, he showed incredible strength of character to stay on the pitch and fight on.
A disgraceful tackle from Henderson saw Rashford limp for the entire first half. He watched helplessly as his team mates picked up injuries that were of a more serious nature and by the end of the half, there were no more substitutes left. As such, it was clear that Rashford had to play on with injury and that was exactly what he did.
Even though he was not a 100%, the Englishman continued to strive and ran at the defense. His injury cost him that yard of pace, however, it was his indomitable spirit that came to the fore on the night.
Rashford will most certainly miss the game against Crystal Palace in midweek and his injury could even extend beyond that. His absence will deprive United of that bite in the final third. United will desperately miss his ability to create moments of magic on the pitch which have helped United win games of late . And most importantly, his absence will wreck all of Solskjaer's plans, because to his Norwegian manager, Marcus Rashford in indispensable.
