Ruben Amorim has confirmed that Manchester United striker Joshua Zirkzee will be out for the rest of “this season” after picking up an injury of late.
United striker Zirkzee has had a poor first season at Old Trafford. The 23-year-old has scored just three times in the Premier League, and things are going from bad to worse.
He played 55 minutes against Newcastle at the weekend, before he limped off the field. United boss Amorim has now confirmed the severity of the injury he sustained.
“Joshua is out for the season. So he’s not going to play more this season. Let’s prepare him for the next one.” he told United media.
“It’s tough, especially in this moment. I think he’s improving in all aspects of the game, so it’s hard for any player to stop, but this is football and he has to be ready now to recover.”
Zirkzee assisted United’s second goal in the first leg of the Europa League quarter-final against Lyon, taking the score to 2-1. Coming in the 88th minute, the Red Devils probably thought that was the winner, before an Andre Onana mistake in stoppage time allowed the French side to equalise.
Zirkzee will have the benefit of knowing he is going to be playing at United next season, after reports during this term have suggested he could be moved on.
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Amorim has essentially confirmed he wants him for next season, after a report suggested the same of late.
It was stated the boss had ‘re-evaluated’ the attack, and decided Zirkzee was good to remain, as there’s ‘faith that he will continue improving’.
Team-mate Rasmus Hojlund was not so lucky in that re-evaluation, as the report stated he’s not been able to give ‘indications that he is developing his game’, and will therefore be sold.
Bit without Zirkzee in the crucial Europa League tie, it is likely that Hojlund will be given more minutes, and given it’s United’s only route to European football for next season, they’ll be hopeful he and his team-mates can perform.
If the Red Devils do bow out of the Europa League at this stage, given they’re 14th in the Premier League, the season will have been a huge disappointment.
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