Curse! Manchester United’s Defensive Rock Injured, Three Players Hurt in a Week, Club Changes Medical Staff to Solve Injury Problems

Over the last week, Manchester United faced three injury setbacks. After losing Cunha and Mason Mount in the Premier League game against Burnley last Saturday, Portuguese defender Diogo Dalot pulled out from the Portugal squad due to injury. This 26-year-old player was returned to Manchester because of a muscle issue prior to Portugal’s World Cup qualifying matches versus Armenia and Hungary.

Reports indicate that Dalot will return to Carrington for further assessment. So far this season, he has started in two of Manchester United’s three Premier League matches. Portugal announced that Lazio’s Nuno Tavares has been called up to replace Dalot in Roberto Martinez’s national team squad.

The Portuguese Football Federation released a statement: “Defender Nuno Tavares was called up to the national team this Thursday to replace Dalot. The player was confirmed by the health and performance department as unable to participate due to muscle discomfort.”

The 26-year-old Cunha also withdrew from the Brazil squad coached by Ancelotti, missing the South American World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Bolivia. Mount did not need to leave the England squad since he was not selected for the current national team roster and has not been called up since joining Manchester United.

After the international break, the Manchester derby is approaching, and Ruben Amorim will hope that the injured players recover well. On September 14, Manchester United will visit the Etihad Stadium to face Manchester City. Although Guardiola’s team has suffered two consecutive defeats, if Cunha, Mount, and Dalot are unavailable, Amorim’s lineup choices will be challenged.

Kobe Meno and Sesko can fill in for Mount and Cunha, but the team would lack substitutes; furthermore, the full-back options are limited to Patrick Dolgu, Diego Léo, Luke Shaw, and Mazraoui. Although Amad Diallo can also play as a wing-back, Amorim might be cautious away at Manchester City.

After only four matches this season, Manchester United already has three injured players, along with preseason injuries to Andre Onana, Mazraoui, and Zirkzee. The persistent injury problems seem unchanged.

Besides transfer dealings this summer, Manchester United also restructured their medical department by appointing former Crystal Palace head of sports medicine Imtiaz Ahmad as the club’s head of medical services. Ahmad is currently serving his notice period before joining, replacing Gary O’Driscoll, who came from Arsenal in September 2023 after six years in the same role at the Gunners.

O’Driscoll and first-team doctor Jim Moxon confirmed their departures from Manchester United in March. After Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS took over, the club decided to reform the medical department. Moxon, formerly with Liverpool, has since been hired by Brighton as their first-team doctor.

During the transition, O’Driscoll stayed on to allow Manchester United to find his successor and minimize disruption to the club’s medical support. Ahmad’s appointment was confirmed by Manchester United’s performance director Sam Ellis.

Ahmad has worked in football sports medicine for twenty years. Initially, he served as a doctor for England youth teams and was appointed Millwall’s club doctor in 2008, where he worked for five years. Later, he became Tottenham’s academy doctor, then joined Queens Park Rangers, working there for seven years in various medical roles, including head of medical and performance.

Moxon’s position has been filled by William Fotherby from Everton.

Two days ago, Fotherby wrote on his LinkedIn account: “After three wonderful years at Everton, I am stepping down as first-team doctor to take on an exciting new opportunity. It has been an honor to work alongside such fantastic staff, coaches, and players at Everton. I am immensely grateful for the experiences, opportunities, and lifelong friendships gained during my time at the club. Thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey.”

He later confirmed his move to Manchester United: “I am delighted to announce that I will be joining Manchester United as the men’s first-team doctor. It is a privilege to be part of this historic club and to help the team achieve success at the highest level.”