Erik ten Hag fears winger Antony suffered a “serious” injury as Manchester United fulfilled the “main objective” of Champions League qualification by thrashing Chelsea.
The Red Devils sealed their return to European football’s top table with a game to spare by thrashing Frank Lampard’s wasteful Blues 4-1 at Old Trafford on Thursday evening.
Casemiro, Anthony Martial, Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford scored before Joao Felix struck a late consolation on a night that saw Antony leave on a stretcher in the first half.
Asked for an update on the Brazil international, Ten Hag said: “I don’t know. Everyone has seen he came off.
“I can tell you that it’s serious but we have to wait minimum 24 hours and then we know probably more about the status of his injury.”
Ten Hag’s comments suggest Antony is in danger of missing the FA Cup final against Manchester City on June 3, with Luke Shaw also requiring assessment after being substituted with a reported back issue.
“We have to wait,” he said. “Antony looks serious but we don’t know what it is. With Shaw, we have to wait as well. After tomorrow we know more.”
Their absence would be big blows for a United side that are already without Lisandro Martinez, Marcel Sabitzer and Donny van de Beek for the FA Cup final.
Beating City would be the cherry on top of what Ten Hag believes has already been a “successful season”.
“I have always high expectations of myself and I think this club belongs in the Champions League, so you have to qualify in the first four,” he said.
“But this league is very strong, and there are many teams, many clubs, who are competing for the position and they all can do it because they have high budgets, good squads.
“We see Chelsea, they have massive, good squad with outstanding players.
“So, we are happy we are in the first four. I think we played a good season in the Premier League. I would say, a very good season.”
Put to Ten Hag that former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger said finishing in the top four was the equivalent of winning a trophy, Ten Hag said: “Oh, I think in the Premier League, yeah, it’s something like that.
“That is, I think, the main objective of the season, to get in the Champions League.
“So, therefore you have to see yourself in the top four and, as I just tried to respond, the competition is tough.
“It’s many teams with really good squads, good managers, so when you are in there you’re doing a good job and your team is playing well and performing well.
“I think this is for this moment the maximum, but we want more.”
That hunger for more means backing is required in the summer transfer window, whoever United’s owners are.
“You have to see how you come out of the transfer window,” Ten Hag added.
“But if I see now I think we need more, so I don’t have so much patience. And that is one of my mistakes.”
Chelsea were already guaranteed to finish in bottom half for the first time in 27 years before this club record 16th defeat in a 38-game Premier League season.
Interim boss Frank Lampard was understandably downtrodden in the press conference that followed his eighth loss in 10 matches in charge.
“My personal feeling? I don’t think it’s about my personal feeling, I think it’s probably about the reality of where we’re at,” he said.
“I’ve said it a lot going into the game, when things are off for a period, which has been the season for us – you can trace it back to probably pre-season – and then it’s not easy to turn it.
“Then when you get into a run-in against top clubs that are going for something, nothing’s a given in this game.
“Mixed feelings. We played OK in parts today, there was some individual performances within the game, which I think can be nice shoots for the future if they’re worked on.
“But of course the reality is when you come to Manchester United and how clinical they are in front of goal and how non-clinical we were, how we defended individually poorly in the second half, then the result can come.”
Pedri: 'Everything going well' with Barcelona contract talks
Pedri says "everything is going well" in the talks over a contract extension with Barcelona.
The youngster has played in all 13 of Barcelona's LaLiga matches this season, helping them to sit top of the pile, with 11 wins so far.
He has already proved key in their midfield, with none of his team-mates making more interceptions than him (eight, level with Pau Cubarsi and Lamine Yamal), while he has also scored three times.
Barcelona sporting director Deco has made no secret of his desire to sign the 21-year-old to a contract extension, and Pedri issued a promising update on the talks taking place.
"I'm very calm, my agents are handling it, I haven't had any news, everything is going well," he told Sport.
Pedri has suffered from hamstring injuries since 2021, after playing 73 matches for club and country in the 2020-21 season.
He missed a total of 25 games for Barcelona and Spain last season, including the semi-final and final of Euro 2024, having been forced off in the early stages of La Roja's quarter-final win over Germany.
However, his injury troubles look to be behind him this season, and he is hopeful he can stay settled in the Barcelona side.
"Physically, I feel good. I have consistency, which makes me enjoy football," he said. "It's a great start to the season and I hope it will continue for a long time.
"Both in the national team and in Barca, I feel comfortable. It is positional football.
"It [his injury issues] was given more airtime, perhaps because I was playing in important tournaments [for Spain] and at Barcelona, I didn't have that continuity.
"I'm working out my body. When you relapse, you look for solutions until you find the key. I have found what suits me well, and I have the continuity that I like."
Doncic backs Mbappe to turn fortunes around at Real Madrid
NBA superstar Luka Doncic has backed Kylian Mbappe to "figure it out" after his underwhelming start to life at Real Madrid.
Mbappe has scored eight goals in 16 games for Madrid in all competitions since joining as a free agent following the expiration of his Paris Saint-Germain contract.
He has gone four matches without a goal – a run that includes losses to Barcelona and Milan – and has been left out of France's latest squad.
However, Dallas Mavericks guard Doncic – a Real Madrid supporter due to his previous ties with the sports club – can see Mbappe turning things around.
"Obviously [their season] could be better," Doncic told Managing Madrid after the Mavericks' win over the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday.
"But when you get a guy like Mbappe, it takes some time to get used to it. We'll figure it out."
Mbappe has scored six goals in 11 LaLiga appearances for Madrid but has underperformed his season's expected goals (xG) total by 2.04.
The forward is averaging a goal every 166 minutes in all competitions this term, compared to one every 88 minutes for PSG in his last of seven seasons in Paris.
Madrid thrashed Osasuna 4-0 last time out in the league to return to winning ways but still trail leaders Barcelona by six points.
Asked about his connections with Madrid, former Los Blancos basketball player Doncic said: "I follow Real Madrid every time.
"I grew up there. They taught me everything, so it's a part of my life. You can call it a secondary home.
"I learned a lot of stuff there and, especially, they gave me a way to be here right now [in Dallas]. I always appreciate that 100%."
Madrid return to action after the international break with a trip to Leganes on Sunday.
'Nothing concrete' - Gyokeres brushes off Man Utd transfer links
Viktor Gyokeres says the rumours linking him with a January move to Manchester United are "nothing concrete".
The Sporting CP forward has been the subject of speculation following United's appointment of Ruben Amorim, though he has also been linked with the likes of Bayern Munich and Arsenal after his sensational form since moving to Portugal.
He has scored 34 goals in the Portuguese top-flight this calendar year, more than double the figure managed by the competition's next-most prolific player, Galeno, who has netted 16 times for Porto.
Gyokeres' haul has come from an expected goals (xG) figure of 28.18, while his shot conversion rate sits at 27.64% in 2024 (123 shots).
Amorim, who signed a contract at Old Trafford until June 2027, signed Gyokeres from Coventry City in July 2023, though he has suggested he will not buy any Sporting players in the upcoming transfer window.
Asked about a potential move to the Premier League, Gyokeres told Fotbollskanalen: "It's fun, but not something I attach any importance to because it's talk.
"These are rumours, nothing concrete. Of course, I want to finish the season at Sporting. I enjoy my time there. I don't feel stressed about making a change in the future. We'll see when the time comes.
"He [Amorim] probably already has strikers there. It's very sad that he left [Sporting], but of course, we understand the decision. He meant a lot to me, as he gave me an opportunity and helped me evolve a lot.
"Now we are looking forward to working with the new coach [Joao Pereira]."
The 26-year-old, who scored a league-high 29 goals last campaign, has netted 23 goals in 18 appearances in all competitions this term, with 16 of those coming in the Primeira Liga.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
