Man Utd boss confirms 5 players will miss Norwich game

Manchester United will be looking to get back to winning ways when they take on Norwich City at Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon.

Ahead of the game, Ralf Rangnick has been speaking to the media at his pre-match press conference this afternoon and he’s provided a team news and injury update which included the latest on a number of players.

Fred was forced off at Goodison Park after sustaining a hip injury and the Brazilian hasn’t been spotted in training at Carrington this week. Rangnick has confirmed the midfielder remains on the sidelines this weekend.

Raphael Varane sat out Man Utd’s trip to Merseyside last weekend due to a muscle injury while Scott McTominay was another absentee against Everton with the Scottish international struggling with a foot issue. Both players remain unavailable for the Norwich game tomorrow afternoon.

Another concern for Manchester United is Luke Shaw as the full-back missed the Everton defeat having recently undergone surgery to remove bolts from his old ankle injury.

Shaw won’t be available to face Norwich as Rangnick expects the defender to be out for up to five weeks, which means he faces a race against time to play again this season.

Edinson Cavani also remains on the sidelines for Man Utd this weekend with the Uruguayan hitman still working his way back from a calf injury that’s hampered him in recent weeks.

Rangnick is quoted as saying by the Manchester Evening News:

Five players will still be missing for tomorrow, some of them probably also for the upcoming games. Fred and Scott, Raphael Varane will still be missing out, Luke Shaw had his bolts removed from his leg and Edinson Cavani, those are the five that will still be missing.

As it seems, [Shaw] will be out for at least another four or five weeks, I think for him it will be difficult for him to be available for the remaining seven games.

It means United will be without five players due to injury this weekend but there is better news regarding the availability of Cristiano Ronaldo.

The 37-year-old picked up a knock during United’s 1-0 defeat to Everton last weekend. However, the Portuguese superstar has been able to take part in training this week and is available for selection against Norwich tomorrow.

Manchester United head into the weekend action sitting seventh in the table – six points adrift of the top four – so they desperately need a win over Norwich to keep alive their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League next season.