PHIL JONES’ injury nightmare at Manchester United continues.
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| Louis van Gaal has confirmed that Phil Jones has suffered a reoccurrence of his ankle injury |
The England defender, who has made only eight starts, has been ruled out of United’s FA Cup tie against Sheffield United with the recurrence of an ankle injury that forced him off at half-time in the win over Swansea. Jones missed the first two months of the season with a blood clot and since coming back has three more spells out of the team.
But the good news for United is that Jesse Lingard is back after a month out with a hamstring injury suffered in the defeat at Bournemouth in ealry December.
Van Gaal said: "Of course, we have the long-term injuries. Shaw, Valencia and Rojo. But Jones is also injured. Then we have to wait and see because I have a lot of players who are in the 'red zone' [in terms of fitness], overloaded, and that I decide later.
"Lingard is coming back from injury. He has trained a full week so he is ready. Young is not injured but he is overloaded and in the 'red zone'. More players are in the 'red zone' and we have to decide if they can play against Sheffield United or not."
In terms of the three long-term absentees, van Gaal was asked if they were making good progress in their recovery.
"I think so," he added. "They are, all three, going very well. Shaw and Valencia also had a holiday break and they have come back very brightly and they have the spirit to continue so that's also very good. Rojo was here and shall also have a break at the end of January when it is possible for him. But it is going very well."
Van Gaal says he is not surprised United have not won the FA Cup since 2004 and recalled the difficult ties they had last season against lower division clubs, Yeovil, Cambridge United and Preston as a reminder that they cannot take League One Blades lightly tomorrow.
He said: “I don’t think that’s so crazy. In sport you can lose and you can win and I think the FA Cup is very difficult to win.
“We saw that already last year when played against Yeovil and Cambridge United. Every match is difficult to win, no matter what level you compete at.
“I think that’s why Manchester United didn’t win the Cup for long time. I cannot judge the way they have lost in the last few years but last year we lost to Arsenal and they were the winners.”
United have put together two more upbeat attacking displays against Chelsea and Swansea to lift some of the gloom at Old Trafford and ease the pressure on Van Gaal.
But the Dutchman is wary of saying the team have turned the corner on the strength of two results.
“I don’t agree with the view that we have played more attacking football in the last two games because we are always play attacking football,” he said. “The big difference is we scored twice against Swansea.
“That gives me confidence but we have still to see if it gives the players more confidence because one swallow doesn’t make a summer. I hope so. I see the confidence in the training sessions but you have to show for 90 minutes in a match and against opponents who want to stop you. That’s why football is so amazing because you never know.”
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