The most recent match of Manchester United’s preseason tour saw Marcus Rashford and Antony deal a fresh double injury blow.
Shortly before the hour, Rashford had to leave the pitch due to what appeared to be a significant ankle injury sustained when Real Betis midfielder Sergi Altimira stepped on his right foot. The United striker Rashford was injured in an impact, according to the club’s recently hired physiotherapist Jordan Reece, after being down for a number of minutes and unable to continue.
The 26-year-old Rashford, who scored just eight goals in a dismal season the previous year, had been playing well up until his forced absence, scoring from the penalty spot and setting up Casemiro’s winning goal. Following Rashford’s limping departure, winger Antony also hobbled off the field after playing just 23 minutes as a second-half substitute.With a physio beside him, Antony yanked off his wrist tape, clearly agitated. They proceeded straight down the tunnel. His predicament was less evident than Rashford’s apparent injury.
Only a few hours had passed since it was announced that Leny Yoro, United’s recent £59 million acquisition, would miss three months of action due to a suspected broken metatarsal. In just his second game for United, Yoro was hurt in a 2-1 loss to Arsenal in Los Angeles. Rasmus Hojlund, the striker, was also hurt.After scoring the game’s first goal against Arsenal, Hojlund injured his hamstring minutes later and is expected to miss six weeks. Joshua Zirkzee, a £35.6 million striker from the Netherlands, who recently joined United, might replace Hojlund as a forward. Ten Hag may have serious selection issues if Rashford and Antony sustain catastrophic injuries.
In Hojlund’s absence, Rashford performed admirably before to his injury. Just moments after Iker Losada had given the Spanish team the lead, he equalized with a flawless penalty kick in the eighteenth minute.
Before halftime, Amad gave United the lead, and Casemiro doubled it. Nevertheless, Betis provided a suspenseful finish with a header from Diego Llorente following Rashford’s substitution, and United made a number of wholesale changes in the latter minutes to still prevail.