Harry KO woe for United
No, not that Harry, but the Manchester United defender Harry Maguire who, according to the Daily Mirror, “faces a month on the sidelines after suffering a torn hip muscle”.
Maguire sustained the injury in the FA Cup third round tie against Wolves last weekend and the England blocker is not expected to be back in action until late February.
The Mirror says that the news has rocked Old Trafford and manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is “considering signing a centre-back on loan in the January transfer window”.
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The paper names no names as to who might be on United’s shopping list but with the club desperately short of fit defenders a loan deal looks likely.
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Jimmy no cricket
The Daily Express and The Times both give prominence to the news that Jimmy Anderson has been forced out of England’s tour of South Africa after suffering a rib injury in the second Test victory in Cape Town.
“Out of Africa” is the headline in the Express, and the paper speculates that the broken rib might signal the end of the 37-year-old’s record-breaking career.
The Times is more concerned with the short-term, saying that the absence of Anderson - who took 7-63 in the second Test - for the remaining two Tests is a “further blow” to England. The tourists have already lost opening batsman Rory Burns to an ankle injury, while illness has also ravaged the squad.
On a more positive note, however, The Times expects Jofra Archer to replace Anderson for next week’s third Test. Fast bowler Archer has recovered from the elbow injury that kept him out of the Cape Town clash.
Leicester leveller
“Kel of a strike” is the headline on the back page of Metro with the paper one of many to report how Kelechi Iheanacho’s thunderbolt ensured Leicester City shared the spoils with Aston Villa in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final at the King Power Stadium.
Villa had taken the lead on 28 minutes through Frederic Guilbert but the Foxes fought back to earn a 1-1 draw with Iheanacho smashing the leveller on 84 minutes.
The second leg at Villa Park is on Tuesday 28 January.
Today’s newspaper back pages
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