Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admits Harry Maguire is losing his race to be fit for the Europa League final.
The defender came off in United’s 3-1 win against Aston Villa earlier this month when he sustained an ankle ligament injury at Villa Park.
Maguire came off crutches earlier this week to attend the premiere for Sir Alex Ferguson’s new film, which raised hopes the defender could be fit to face Villarreal.
But, while Solskjaer says there’s still a chance of Maguire featuring in Gdansk, he admits the defender’s chances of doing so have decreased in recent days.
‘I’m like Jim Carrey in Dumb And Dumber, when he said ‘You’re telling me there is a chance?’,’ said Solskjaer.
‘We still hope for Harry, we’re going to give him as much time as possible but the hope is getting slimmer.
‘Oh, it’s a blow, definitely. When your captain, your ever-present captain, your leader is out.
‘Harry defends ours and he creates chances for us [in theirs]. He hasn’t scored enough goals yet but he’s always a threat. So that’s a big blow [if he’s out].
‘He’s a vocal leader, he organises everyone. But he’s still in and around the dressing room, he’s doing everything he can to help the players.’
Should Maguire miss out, Solskjaer will decide between Axel Tuanzebe and Eric Bailly to partner Victor Lindelof in the heart of his defence.
Tuanzebe got the nod against Fulham, suggesting that he’s ahead of Bailly in the pecking order.
Solskjaer is expected to make a host of changes today as United take on Wolves at Molineux. The Red Devils have already tied up second spot and take on Villarreal on Wednesday.
from metro.co.uk
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