Antonio Valencia has sustained a hamstring injury and could now face up to four weeks on the sidelines, according to Sir Alex Ferguson.
The news has filtered through from Ferguson’s post-match press conference, following tonight’s 2-0 win at Ajax in the Europa League and has now been confirmed by United’s official site. Valencia came off the bench to play a major part in his side’s second goal, sustaining the injury in the process. He was immediately replaced on 86 minutes.
While the injury will come as a major blow to United, the timing does at least coincide with the return to fitness of both Ashley Young and Nani. Young started tonight’s tie and opened the scoring with a smart finish as United outclassed their Dutch opponents in the second period. Nani was also in Ferguson’s starting lineup.
For Fantasy managers, Valencia’s absence would pose a problem with no automatic switch available. Valencia has been in sparkling form since his return to the fold and has attracted a steady flow of investment. His Fantasy Premier League (FPL) price has risen from a low of 7.8, to 8.3, as a run of 10 assists in 11 league games led to a significant increase in ownership. Those recent investors now face losing Valencia for a spell that will see United’s fixtures improve markedly – potentially losing out on continued returns.
Owners of Wayne Rooney will also be concerned – Valencia’s supply line has been hugely profitable for United of late and Nani and Young will need to step up to fill the void. It will be interesting to see if United’s goal output suffers, once deprived of Valencia’s quality.
Those now in the market for a replacement will likely prefer to look to Nani rather than Young – his price has fallen to 9.9 following injury but that’s still a significant jump from Valencia’s sale value. Nani may also take several matches to adjust back to the pace and we shouldn’t forget that he had scored just a single goal in seven league games prior to his recent absence.
Tom Cleverley also presents an intriguing alternative. He, too, returned to the United first XI in Holland tonight and, if he can establish a starting role in midfield, offers a cheap route to United’s attacking potential at just 5.1 in the FPL.
Cleverley was replaced on 61 minutes by Paul Scholes in this evening’s game and, like Nani, will likely need time to adjust back to the pace of matters. Should he show signs of form and regular starts, however, Cleverley could see increased investment as a result of Valencia’s spell on the sidelines.
