Matthijs de Ligt speaks about his Man United injury concern
By Kian Long
Manchester United had a brilliant weekend of Premier League action. They faced Southampton away from home and merged victorious. Not only did they win the match but they won it comfortably, netting three goals against the Saints on away territory.
So, the mood at Man United isn't entirely bright but it has picked up following the club's second win of the season. The Red Devils can now hopefully pick up some momentum to carry through to the busy period of the season.
Matthijs de Ligt netted his first Man United goal, which would have done wonders for the centre-back's confidence. However, the match at St Marys Stadium wasn't all sunshine and rainbows for De Ligt, since he was also subbed off prematurely.
Matthijs de Ligt speaks about his Man United injury concern
Given the nature of Man United's injury crisis, seeing a player leave the pitch early is always bound to be concerning. However, according to Steven Railston on X (formerly Twitter), Matthijs de Ligt has confirmed he was replaced due to cramp, rather than injury.
This is great news for Man United. Cramp is never easy for players to deal with, but it is only a temporary discomfort. The good news for Man United fans is that De Ligt is not injured, which would have been longer-term.
Manchester United defended well against Southampton. While the home team didn't test the goal too much, of the limited shots (6) they did take, half of them resulted in big chances (3).
According to FotMob, Man United managed to prevent 1.12 expected goals from Southampton, while crafting their own 2.67 expected goals. So, Man United dominated the match after Matthijs de Ligt opened the scoring.
Admittedly, the red card for Southampton did help Manchester United. However, by this point, the Red Devils were already two goals ahead. Alejandro Garnacho sealed the victory in added time.
Next up, Manchester United will now play Barnsley at home in the EFL Cup third round.