Skinner explains injury absences against Leicester

Marc Skinner clarified after the final whistle why a number of Manchester United players were absent from Sunday’s WSL victory over Leicester.

The names of Elisabeth Terland, Jayde Riviere, Simi Awujo and Anna Sandberg were absent from the matchday squad for the visit of the Foxes following the international break. Lisa Naalsund also remained sidelined. But, positively, all are considered “on the cusp” of being available again.

Melvine Malard admirably deputised for Terland up front, but it was a blow for the in-form Norwegian after she had scored in every United game in February.

“Teri took a small break to her wrist, but you can manage these things with splints and so on. We’re hopeful she can potentially come back over the next couple of weeks,” Skinner said of the unfortunate situation.

Discussing United’s Canadian pair, the boss continued: “Jayde was a muscle injury. She played two games back-to-back [for Canada] and you’ve got to look at loading, which is disappointing for us. Simi took a knock in training, which again happens. But, for me, it’s about ensuring they come back.”

Sandberg, who was part of Sweden’s Under-23 squad last month, missed out against Leicester because of a sickness bug.

There is also hope that Naalsund will be available “very soon”, having been ruled out through injury since November.

“It’s really important that as they go away on international duty, they return as best they can be, because they want play this exciting end to the season,” Skinner said.

The next international break is at the start of April. But attention for United now turns to next weekend’s FA Cup quarter-final tie against Sunderland at Leigh Sports Village, with the Reds hoping to continue in the defence of our trophy.

Tickets for that match are available here.

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Manchester United felt the intensity of being back in action so soon after February’s international break for the visit of Leicester City on Sunday afternoon, but still managed to extend the current winning run to a seventh league game.

Leicester fought back admirably in the second half and crafted a number of chances that they ultimately weren’t able to take. Those that did hit the target were gathered expertly by Phallon Tullis-Joyce, who also claimed multiple high crosses to alleviate pressure on the Reds defence.

In Marc Skinner’s words, United’s players, many of whom reported back to Carrington after international duty with only a day or two to train, were “fuming” with the second half. It highlights the standards that the team have come to expect from themselves.

United had dominated the first half and took a 2-0 lead into the break that proved to be enough to claim maximum points come full-time around an hour later.

With Elisabeth Terland not involved due to a knock, Melvine Malard was an addition to the starting line-up in the ‘number-nine’ role – reflective of the digit on her back – and took her opportunity gladly.

Malard was at the heart of everything that was good about the Reds in an attacking sense. She led the line incredibly well and opened the scoring after 19 minutes in superb fashion. The goal was epitome of keeping a cool head when it mattered most, using her pace to latch onto a through pass, before sitting down Leicester goalkeeper with a feint without actually touching the ball. The finish was just as good.

The France international worked well in tandem with Leah Galton all afternoon, laying on our second goal for the relentless winger, and the pair came second and third respectively in the running to be named our Player of the Match, a vote decided by supporters in the United App.

Malard claimed 29 per cent of all selections – to finish narrowly behind our winner – while Galton rounded out the medal places with 10 per cent after her own fine showing.

Today’s honours were claimed, however, by Ella Toone, after our no.7 put on another impressive display just days after helping England to beat world champions Spain at Wembley Stadium.

Ella set up Malard’s all-important opener on the afternoon, threading through a perfect pass to create a one-on-one opportunity, and got the ‘assist before the assist’ after feeding the ball into the latter again in the build-up to Galton’s goal.

Those involvements were the highlight of another impactful showing from Toone, who has arguably been United’s form player so far in 2025.

Thank you to everyone who voted, and congratulations to Tooney on scooping the prize.

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Ruben Amorim has made his team selection for the Emirates FA Cup fifth-round tie against Fulham.

The Old Trafford encounter kicks off at 16:30 GMT, with a place in the quarter-finals up for grabs.

The Reds are without wing-back Patrick Chinazaekpere Dorgu, after the red card he picked up in the 3-2 win over Ipswich Town in midweek, with Noussair Mazraoui drafted into the XI in his place.

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Diogo Dalot could play on the left, with Mazraoui on the right, but they could easily be on the opposite flanks.

The other change sees Alejandro Garnacho, who was sacrificed in the first half against Ipswich when Dorgu was dismissed, replaced by Christian Eriksen.

Skipper Bruno Fernandes and Eriksen’s positions are interchangeable within the system, so it will be interesting to see who begins the tie in the deeper role, alongside Manuel Ugarte.

William Murdock, who kept goal for the Under-18s in our fabulous 3-2 win over Arsenal in the FA Youth Cup quarter-final on Friday night, gets a maiden senior call-up to sit on the bench. Fellow keeper Hubert Graczyk is also a substitute again, with Altay Bayindir and Tom Heaton both out injured.

Only seven players are named as subs, with teenage striker Chido Obi one of them.

THE TEAMS

United: Onana; De Ligt, Maguire, Yoro; Mazraoui, Ugarte, Fernandes (c), Dalot; Zirkzee, Eriksen; Hojlund.

Substitutes: Graczyk, Murdock, Heaven, Lindelof, Casemiro, Garnacho, Obi.

Fulham: Leno; Robinson (c), Bassey, Andersen, Castagne; Lukic, Berge; Iwobi, Andreas, Traore; Muniz.

Substitutes: Benda, Cuenca, Diop, Sessegnon, Reed, Cairney, Smith Rowe, Willian, Jimenez.

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Manchester United earned a hard-fought seventh consecutive WSL win on Sunday, with Leicester City beaten 2-0 at Leigh Sports Village straight after a tiring international break.

There were three changes to the United line-up from Marc Skinner. Melvine Malard, Celin Bizet and Aoife Mannion all came into the side, with Hinata Miyazawa on the bench, and Jayde Riviere and Elisabeth Terland missing out through knocks. Leicester, meanwhile, were unchanged from the side that beat Aston Villa last time out.

The impressive Malard grabbed her opportunity with both hands, at the heart of most of United’s attacking play. She scored the opener before laying on the second before the break for Leah Galton.

Leicester were much improved in the second half, but United were solid defensively and recorded a milestone 10th league clean sheet of the campaign.

FIRST HALF

A spell of sustained early United pressure deep in Leicester’s half produced the first attempt of the afternoon when Dominique Janssen fired a right-footed shot from the edge of the box that whistled just wide of the target. The Reds continued to control the tempo, although there was a clear intention from Leicester to try and stretch the pitch with the pace of Shana Chossenotte down their right flank.

Further half-chances came as Janina Leitzig collected a through ball just before Malard reached it, while Ella Toone shot just wide from distance. But there was elegant simplicity about Malard’s opener just shy of 20 minutes in. It was two straight passes through the centre of the pitch from Maya Le Tissier and then Toone, with Malard beating Julie Thibaud for pace to run through on goal. A clever drop of the shoulder wrongfooted Leitzig, opening the door for a classy finish at the near post.

United had vocal penalty appeals waved away midway through the half when a cross from the right struck the outstretched arm of Leicester midfielder Sam Tierney. A couple of important Leicester blocks then kept the Reds at bay as Malard teed up Bizet and then smashed the rebound goalward herself.

A Gabby George free-kick from a promising position towards the end of the half missed the target, but Galton ensured United took a two-goal lead into the break when Malard slid a ball into her path in the box. It was a composed finish from our no.11 who proceeded to rush over to the bench to celebrate the strike with fellow Lego Club members Rachel Williams and Safia Middleton-Patel.

SECOND HALF

Despite conceding a second right before the break, Leicester returned from the interval with some fresh vigour and George needed to be alert to block from Chossenotte at the far post. Missy Goodwin later had another sight of goal for the Foxes that she blazed over on the volley an hour in.

Half-time substitute Yuka Momiki, scorer for Japan against the United States in the SheBelieves Cup, was the primary source of Leicester’s improvement and had her own effort well saved by Phallon Tullis-Joyce. With a quarter of the game left, Leicester even fortuitously struck the woodwork when CJ Bott’s mishit cross clipped the top of the crossbar and bounced over. Tierney then had the away section groaning with a miss from a good position closing in at the far post.

In search of a wider buffer, United were denied when a promising run from Malard down the left saw a cross intercepted just before it reached Bizet, with the follow up agonisingly nudged out of Toone’s path.

Leicester had done an exceptional job at keeping the Reds at arm’s length throughout much of the second half. But that resilience started to wane in the closing stages and, combined with Rachel Williams’s bulldozing introduction late on, saw United engineer a final opening for Miyazawa that flew off target.

MATCH DETAILS

United: Tullis-Joyce; Mannion, Le Tissier (c), Turner, George; Clinton, Janssen (Miyzazwa 73); Bizet (Geyse 84), Toone, Galton; Malard (Williams 85).

Subs not used: Middleton-Patel, Rendell, Hill, Livingston, Griffiths.

Booked: Miyazawa.

Goals: Malard 19, Galton 45+2.

Leicester: Leitzig; Bott, Howard, Thibaud, Ale; Tierney (Takarada 76), Mace, Chossenotte (O’Brien 62), Cayman (c) (Cain 62), Goodwin (Las 76); Eiriksdottir (Momiki 46).

Subs not used: Clark, Nevin, Swaby, Rose.

Booked: Bott.

Attendance: 3,950.

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