Just in: Pochettino dealt first Man Utd blow as projected starter suffers setback
Incoming Manchester United head coach Mauricio Pochettino might not be able to rely on Patrick Dorgu, who has been sent back to Carrington.
The Argentine tactician has been officially confirmed as Michael Carrick’s successor at Old Trafford, with the Premier League giants paying £7.4 million to release him from his USMNT contract.
However, the 54-year-old won’t arrive at Carrington before November 18, as he will honour his current employers by overseeing their next two fixtures against Haiti.
Denmark send unfit Patrick Dorgu back to Man United
Pochettino’s arrival in Manchester will coincide with the return of the bulk of the squad from the international break.
But sadly for Dorgu, he’s set for a premature return to England after suffering a physical problem at the Danish national team’s camp.
The wing-back had suffered a hamstring problem during the previous international break, which ruled him out for several weeks.
The 22-year-old recently made his return to action and famously scored the last-gasp equaliser in Sunday’s dramatic 4-4 draw against Aston Villa.
But while he was called up for international duty, Denmark’s doctor Morten Boesen deemed him not fully fit.
“We have carried out a series of tests on Dorgu, and he has not performed well enough to be ready to play in the two matches,” said Boesen.
“He needs further recovery time after his injury, so we are sending him home for additional rehabilitation.”
Should Man Utd be worried about Dorgu’s early homecoming?
At this stage, it remains unclear whether Dorgu has suffered a new problem during his latest appearance against Aston Villa, or if it’s simply a precautionary measure on Denmark’s part.
If it’s the second case, it would raise serious questions regarding Man Utd’s medical staff, who allowed the player to take the pitch, whereas their Danish colleagues considered him unready.
It should also be remembered that Portugal’s head coach Jorge Jesus revealed during the previous international break that Bruno Fernandes had been playing with a knock for several weeks.
Therefore, United fans will be hoping for some clarification regarding Dorgu’s case.
As for Pochettino, losing Dorgu would be a blow, given how many of us are expecting him to rely on the former Lecce star at left-back instead of Luke Shaw.
It also remains unclear whether Shaw will be available after the international break, and the same goes for his compatriot, Marcus Rashford.
