The injury curse which even claimed the indefatigable Bruno Fernandes last week is not, it appears, limited to those currently at Manchester United’s disposal.
At a time in which Fernandes, Marcus Rashford, Luke Shaw, Victor Lindelof, Raphael Varane and so many more are unavailable, Donny van de Beek returned to the Netherlands for treatment on an Achilles issue which threatens to bring a premature end to an already highly-disappointing loan spell at Eintracht Frankfurt.
And even those on Manchester United‘s radar heading into the summer transfer window are being struck down.
With a striker one of the Red Devils‘ top priorities, Sir Jim Ratcliffe could have been forgiven for wondering if he’d walked under 13 ladders while spilling salt all over the pavement on his way to Old Trafford, a man reportedly near the top of United’s wishlist trudging off with tears in his eyes on Saturday.
Manchester United like Joshua Zirkzee
Bologna, securing Champions League football via a 2-0 win at last season’s Scudetto winners’ Napoli, saw their celebrations dampened a little by a muscle injury which forced Joshua Zirkzee off the pitch, visibly emotional as he limped down the tunnel at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
“We have to evaluate it. I don’t know yet (how serious the injury is),” Bologna boss Thiago Motta, who has himself beenlinked with Man United ahead of the club’s first summer under Ineos control, tells DAZN.
“He felt a little discomfort in her left flexor, but we don’t know yet.”
Zirkzee, Tuttomercatoweb report, is due to undergo tests on Monday. If it is indeed his flexor muscle which has been affected, the one-time Bayern Munich youngster could miss out on a place in the Netherlands squad for this summer’s European Championships.
But, perhaps, therein lies a potential positive. The prospect of Zirkzee showcasing his balletic talents in front of a far wider audience, like compatriot and one-time United target Cody Gakpo did in Qatar back in 2022, would surely have served only to enhance the forward’s already hefty £50 million price-tag.
If Zirkzee is restricted to a watching brief instead, however, it’s hard to imagine that Bologna will have quite so much justification slapping another £10 or £20 million on top of their demands.
Inter Milan open door for Bologna swoop
The stylish, subtle Zirkzee, not quite a number ten or a number nine but something in the middle, might not be the most prolific forward on United’s wishlist, in comparison to say Serhou Guirassy or Viktor Gyokeres. He’s scored just 12 times in 37 games this season.
In contrast to Rasmus Hojlund, however, Zirkzee’s willingness to drop deep and provide a link between midfield and attack – like another United-linked striker in Ivan Toney – could be the key to getting far more out of the Red Devils’ speedy widemen Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho.
Inter Milan’s vice-president Javier Zanetti, meanwhile, has raised the possibility of a battle with Man United for Zirkzee’s signature this summer.
“Zirkzee is a great champion,” Zanetti tells Tuttomercatoweb. “We are talking about a young, talented, intelligent, physically very strong player. Someone like that would be useful to any great team aiming for important goals.
“If an important opportunity presents itself, maybe we can think about it. Zirkzee, Lautaro (Martinez and (Marcus) Thuram. Three young, strong strikers who give you peace of mind.”