Chapter 433: The Growing Injury List
Ibrahimović was working hard to find opportunities to score.
No matter what the team's goal was, a forward's job is to score. They couldn't slack off just because the strategy was to play for a draw. What if the opponent scored first?
This season, Ibrahimović had opened the scoring for the team seven times, and every time the team won. He was good at breaking deadlocks.
In this match, the Swedish striker naturally wanted to break the deadlock for his team.
In the 37th minute, Bruno sent a long pass from the backfield. Ibrahimović started to chase the ball but stumbled after just two steps, collapsing to the ground, clutching his leg with a pained expression.
"What happened on the field? Ibrahimović has suddenly collapsed without any contact!"
Mourinho leapt from his seat, eyes glued to the pitch with concern.
Anderlecht defender Appiah, who had been chasing Ibrahimović, stopped and raised his hand to signal an injury.
Rashford, the closest United player, rushed over, worried about his strike partner.
Collapsing without any contact and looking so pained usually meant a serious injury.
...
Bruno paused for a moment before running over to Ibrahimović. He had been worried ever since Ibrahimović mentioned muscle soreness in training, remembering how Ibrahimović had suffered a cruciate ligament injury in this match, sidelining him for several months.
Bruno had even suggested that if Ibrahimović didn't feel up to it, he should rest for this game. Ibrahimović had shrugged it off, saying it was just minor soreness and he was being cautious.
But now, during the match, that muscle soreness had indeed taken him down.
Bruno reached Ibrahimović's side and, after a quick glance, gestured to the bench to indicate a substitution was needed.
It looked like a cruciate ligament injury; Ibrahimović wouldn't be able to finish the match.
"Bruno is signaling for a substitution! The prolific striker Ibrahimović is down in this crucial match and looks unable to continue. It seems the pre-match rumors of his injury were true!"
As Ibrahimović was carried off on a stretcher, he covered his face with his hands. Only he knew how serious this injury was, potentially sidelining him for the rest of the season.
Bruno patted him on the shoulder, whispering, "Take your time to recover, Zlatan."
Ibrahimović didn't respond, and Bruno could only glimpse something shiny through his fingers.
...
Ibrahimović's injury broke the deadlock in the match. With United losing their main striker, Anderlecht decided to press forward.
As Anderlecht attacked, gaps opened in their previously tight defense. United was ready to exploit these opportunities.
Perhaps because the first half was ending, both sides suddenly became less cautious, engaging in open play.
The second half continued this way, with both sides attacking fiercely.
In the 55th minute, Anderlecht scored first. Kums crossed from the right, Blind's clearance fell short, and Tielemans' shot from outside the box deflected off a defender, hit the crossbar, and Teodorczyk controlled the rebound, setting up Appiah to score. Anderlecht led 1-0.
The 2,000 visiting Anderlecht fans erupted in cheers.
Their joy was short-lived. Ten minutes later, in the 65th minute, United equalized.
Bruno intercepted Dendoncker's pass in midfield and sent a through ball to Rashford, who squared the ball from the left. After a deflection, Rashford recovered and passed to Gündoğan, who shot low from the edge of the box to score. United 1-1 Anderlecht.
...
The tempo didn't slow down, and both teams continued to attack.
In the 81st minute, it was United's turn to take the lead.
Lingard received a pass from Rashford at the edge of the box and shot. The ball curved around Anderlecht keeper Martinez but hit the post, rebounding to Bruno, who volleyed it into the net.
2-1!
"Bruno scores! United have turned it around to lead Anderlecht 2-1. This is Bruno's 10th Europa League goal this season, keeping him at the top of the scorer's chart!"
United fans celebrated wildly in the stands and at home, while Anderlecht players launched a frenzied counterattack, desperately seeking another goal.
If they could score again, the aggregate score would be level, but Anderlecht would advance on away goals.
In the final minutes, Bruno became the busiest man on the pitch, abandoning attacking duties to focus on defense, repeatedly thwarting Anderlecht's advances.
For United, holding on to the 2-1 score would mean advancing to the Europa League semifinals.
United nearly secured the win when Lingard had a great chance just before stoppage time, but his weak shot was easily saved by Martinez.
...
Ultimately, the referee blew the final whistle, and United won 2-1 at home against Anderlecht, advancing to the Europa League semifinals.
However, losing their main striker to a severe injury cast a shadow over their title hopes.
Whether advancing to the Europa League semifinals was a blessing or a curse for United was yet to be seen.
United still had a chance to win four titles: they led the Premier League, were in the FA Cup and Europa League semifinals, and had already won the League Cup.
Winning the Premier League, FA Cup, Europa League, and League Cup in one season would not only make United the fifth grand slam team in European football history but also the first to achieve a single-season grand slam.
However, with three fronts to fight on, United faced an extremely grueling schedule: at least ten matches in the next month, potentially up to twelve!
Such a packed schedule would be taxing for any team, even with United's depth.
This season, United had a deep squad, capable of fielding two strong starting lineups.
But with an injury list including Ibrahimović, Rooney, Mata, Herrera, Shaw, Van Dijk, Rojo, and Jones, even United's deep squad stretched thin. Mourinho struggled to rotate the lineup effectively.
...
Barely 60 hours after their match, United faced their next challenge: the FA Cup semifinal against Tottenham at the new Wembley Stadium.
The previous day's semifinal saw Arsenal and Manchester City draw 1-1 in regular time, with Arsenal winning 2-1 in extra time to reach the final.
Now, United and Tottenham would vie for the other spot in the final.
Although United drew a home tie, Tottenham had the real home advantage, being based in London.
The match started with Tottenham full of energy, motivated by their last chance to win a trophy this season.
Within five minutes, Tottenham had a dangerous shot.
Mourinho was displeased with his team's defense, aware that a young team like United could easily crumble under pressure or become complacent when things were going well.
United's recent poor performances were likely due to complacency rather than any curse, in Mourinho's view.
This subtle complacency didn't manifest in obvious ways but influenced the players' mindset.
A telling statistic: United's outfield players averaged 11.3 km per match in the first half of the season, now reduced to 9.8 km.
...
Less running indicated a lack of effort, with players opting to walk rather than actively participate. Only a few, like Bruno, continued to put in maximum effort, averaging over 13 km per match.
But football isn't a solo sport; Bruno's excellent performance couldn't elevate the whole team. His recent lack of goals and assists was more due to the team's overall slump.
Against Chelsea, the team showed renewed energy, running actively, and won 3-0.
This match followed a similar pattern. Though Tottenham started strong, United's players soon matched their intensity.
In the 13th minute, Bruno passed to an unmarked Lingard, who dribbled into the box and smashed the ball past Spurs keeper Lloris into the top corner.
1-0!
Five minutes later, Tottenham equalized. Eriksen crossed, Kane headed the ball, and it flew into the net!
(End of Chapter)
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