Alejandro Garnacho’s Argentina debut: Manchester United’s 0-0 draw against Southampton isn’t the only bad news from that game. Alejandro Garnacho has sustained an injury in that game, which will keep him out for several weeks. With that, he sees his debut for Argentina fall into the water.
Garnacho will have to wait for debut with Argentina
Garnacho came in more than fifteen minutes before the end, but had to clear the field later. He was injured in a sliding tackle from Kyle Walker-Peters. Manchester United have now confirmed that he will not be available for the coming period. With that, he has to miss the duels with Real Betis and Fulham, but also the international matches with Argentina.
The attacker was selected by national coach Lionel Scaloni for the Argentinian national team, but Garnacho announced via Instagram that he had opted out of the friendly duels with Panama and Curaçao. “It’s hard to put into words how I feel right now,” says Garnacho.
He adds, “Unfortunately I won’t be able to help my team and team-mates in the upcoming games, in a very important part of the season for us at Manchester United. I am disappointed that I also missed the chance to be with my teammates from the Argentina national team in what would have been a great and proud moment for me and my family.”
Ferguson hoped his own player had broken his legs after deadly tackle
Sticking with Manchester United’s injury, on FIVE, Rio Ferdinand’s YouTube programme, Patrice Evra recounted an anecdote from a mutual encounter in 2011, also at Anfield. Halfway through the first half, Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher dealt a death kick to Manchester United winger Nani, the Frenchman recalls.
He almost broke his leg. We started pushing and pulling with the Liverpool players, with Steven Gerrard. And then suddenly Paul Scholes saw that Nani was crying. Fuck this, let’s go, he said. Ferdinand, who did not participate in this competition, supported his guest. “We all ran towards it because it was a terrible tackle. Scholes saw Nani crying and walked away. He couldn’t defend that. You can’t show weakness at Anfield,” said Ferdinand.
Their manager, the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson, also had little sympathy with his Portuguese pupil who was kicked out of the game. “Ferguson gave him two weeks off,” Evra recalls. “Remember what he said to Nani? I hope your legs are fucking broken, I really hope your legs are broken,” Evra shrugs.
It wasn’t that bad in the end. Nani escaped a serious injury and was back on the field after a week to help United towards the title, but the game at the arch-rival ended 3-1 for the home team that afternoon thanks to a hat-trick from Dirk Kuijt.
