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Alexis Sanchez Suffers Potentially Serious Knee Injury vs. Southampton
November 29, 2018
Manchester United attacker Alexis Sanchez could be set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines after he was substituted with a potentially serious knee injury during Manchester United's 3-2 win over Southampton in the Premier League on Saturday.
Sanchez left the Old Trafford pitch seven minutes after half-time, with Diogo Dalot coming off the bench to replace the Chilean:
ESPN FC's Rob Dawson provided more details about injury's potential nature:
Subsequent information from injury analyst Ben Dinnery suggested the problem could be serious:
It means United will be further depleted ahead of the second leg of their last-16 tie against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League. The Red Devils travel to the Parc des Princes on Wednesday, trailing 2-0 on aggregate and with injury doubts about a host of key stars, including Anthony Martial, Jesse Lingard, Nemanja Matic and Juan Mata.
United were trailing 1-0 when Sanchez went off courtesy of Yan Valery's wonder strike. However, Dalot created an equaliser for Andreas Perreira before Romelu Lukaku gave the Red Devils their first lead of the day.
James Ward-Prowse hit back for the Saints before Lukaku's second goal won it in the 88th minute.
Fitness issues have plagued Sanchez this season:
Those problems are part of ongoing problems for the versatile forward, who has struggled mightily since leaving Arsenal for the red half of Manchester in January 2018.
The 30-year-old has chipped in with just two goals and four assists across all competitions during this campaign. It's beyond a meagre return for United's highest earner.
The modest numbers speak to the massive decline in Sanchez's game since he left north London. He appears to have lost a yard of pace, while the running power he often displayed for the Gunners also seems to have diminished.
The technique is still there, with few players able to match Sanchez's eye for a pass. However, he continually fails to impose himself on matches in a United shirt.
One more injury setback won't help the cause of a player whose future already looks like it would be best served by moving on from Old Trafford.