Manchester United made three notable signings to bolster their defense this past summer, bringing in right back Noussair Mazraoui and center back Matthijs de Ligt from Bayern Munich, as well as top prospect Leny Yoro for 60 million euros.
All three players are starting-caliber, but only Mazraoui has been able to show that level for Manchester United thus far. De Ligt has struggled to assert himself next to Lisandro Martinez, while Yoro has yet to play due to a preseason injury.
To make matters worse, Manchester United are still being stretched thin defensively by injuries. The left back position has been particularly hit, with Tyrell Malacia and Luke Shaw both injured.
That forced Diogo Dalot to play as an inverted left back, and while he and Mazraoui have formed an exceptional pairing, that partnership is now broken up by a sad situation.
Mazraoui will be sidelined for multiple weeks due to an unspecified heart condition that is reportedly not serious but did require a precautionary procedure that will necessitate a period away from action.
Therefore, with Dalot moving back to the right to replace Mazraoui, Manchester United no longer have any available fullback options at left back to replace Shaw or Malacia.
The Mirror’s David McDonnell reports that journeyman center back Jonny Evans will be the one to step in at left back with Manchester United set to face Brentford in the Premier League and Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce in the Europa League next.
Evans at left back could be a recipe for disaster. The 36-year-old is barely quick enough for the center back position, and at left back, he could truly be an unmitigated disaster, especially if Brentford’s attack gets going.
Many thought Evans wouldn’t even be a part of the Manchester United squad this season, as he was part of a planned firesale at center back, which didn’t exactly end up going as reported.
Now, Evans is the best option at left back against a Premier League opponent that has been outplaying Manchester United so far this season. There is seemingly no end to the bleeding at Old Trafford these days.
The managing editor of The Trivela Effect, Kevin has 15 years of experience in digital media. He covered Real Madrid from 2019-2022 for The Real Champs as a site manager. His work has been featured in ESPN, Bleacher Report, Yahoo! Sports, NBC Sports, and other major outlets. You can contact him at the site’s official Twitter handle @TrivelaEffect or via the site’s official email thetrivelaeffect@gmail.com.