Nemanja Vidic has suffered suspected knee ligament damage in tonight’s 2-1 Champions League defeat in Basel.
Vidic was stretchered from the proceedings a couple of minutes before half-time to be replaced by Jonny Evans with his team 1-0 down. United have tonight confirmed that they will await scans before offering a prognosis on the injury, although their early report indicates that the player himself fears he has sustained medial ligament damage having left the stadium on crutches.
The possibility of the United skipper being sidelined suddenly offers up a few quandaries for Fantasy managers.
There’s no doubt his return from a calf injury in gameweek 10 had an immediate effect on a previously shaky back line. The last five games have seen United return four clean sheets, with only a Demba Ba penalty preventing a clean sweep. Ahead of a favourable run of fixtures, the likes of Phil Jones have been transferred in by vast number of Fantasy numbers, with the champions’ defence looking formidable with Vidic alongside Rio Ferdinand in the heart of the back-four.
An absence for Vidic would surely have a significant effect on the plans of Fantasy managers. If he is out, only Patrice Evra could be the closest United defender to being nailed on but their resilience will surely drop without their skipper- can we really expect the same sort of defensive returns?
Jonny Evans could be set for a recall to the first team, having missed the last four and at 4.5 in FPL, could perhaps be a decent punt, given the cut-price outlay required. It remains to be seen how much game time he’d get if Vidic is confirmed as sidelined for a prolonged spell, although it’s worth noting that Alex Ferguson played him in nine of United’s first ten fixtures.
Phil Jones, at 6.4 and rising, looks set for more investment, with his adaptability vital to his game time, while Chris Smalling, at 5.2, could also come into plenty folks’ thinking.
We await further news from the United camp in the next 24-hours.
