Manchester United secured a fourth successive victory on the trot beating Stoke City at home by 2-1 at Old Trafford on Tuesday night. Manager Louis Van Gaal also had some good news for his club faithful claiming that Daley Blind could return from his injury earlier than expected. The Dutch star who was signed for or £13.8m from Ajax in the summer has been absent since injuring his knee playing fnational side against Latvia in mid-November and it was expected that he would miss out for long period of time.
However, recent tests have been encouraging as Van Gaal said, “It’s not so serious.” United were also without Wayne Rooney and Angel Di Maria against Stoke City as they find themselves hit worst by injuries this season. Blind could however return by December as Van Gaal claimed, “The injury is not so serious but he will not be back next week – by Christmas, maybe. I think by the end of December we can see more players coming back and we will have light at the end of the tunnel.”
Blind’s return to the team is very important for United. The defensive midfielder is key for shielding the back four and has an incredible passing range. This would help in Marouane Fellaini in a more free role joining attacks up front with the more creative players rather than be focused on tracking back and breaking opposition attacks.
The Old Trafford side have set their primary target o securing a top four finish to claim a Champions League spot for next season and given injuries has taken a massive toll, the Red Devils have done a fantastic job in the past few weeks. Blind and Di Maria’s return however remains the key for the Red Devils