Ander Herrera handed Manchester United lifeline with Paul Pogba injury after fall out with Jose Mourinho

  • Paul Pogba has been ruled out of action for between four and six weeks
  • Ander Herrera could benefit from the Frenchman's enforced absence
  • The Spaniard fell out with Jose Mourinho after an incident at end of last season
  • He invited a friend with close links to Celta Vigo to Carrington before semi-final

Paul Pogba's hamstring injury could open the door for Ander Herrera to win back a regular place at Manchester United after the Spain midfielder upset manager Jose Mourinho.

Pogba limped out of United's Champions League win over Basle at Old Trafford on Tuesday night and will be sidelined for between four and six weeks.


Herrera is one of the players who could benefit from the Frenchman's absence after having to wait for a month of the new season before making his first Premier League start at Stoke last weekend.

Ander Herrera is set to profit from Paul Pogba's expected four-week hamstring injury layoff

Ander Herrera is set to profit from Paul Pogba's expected four-week hamstring injury layoff

Despite being voted United's player of the year last season and touted as a leading candidate to replace Wayne Rooney as captain in the summer, the 28-year-old midfielder has had to be satisfied with a place on the bench in the opening weeks of the new campaign.

While the impact made by £40million new signing Nemanja Matic has undoubtedly limited Herrera's appearances, Sportsmail understands that he has fallen out of favour since an incident at United's training ground towards the end of last season.

Herrera is believed to have innocently invited a friend with close links to Celta Vigo to Carrington shortly before United played the Spanish club in the semi-final of the Europa League.

Mourinho recognised the visitor and ordered Herrera – whose father played for Celta and later became the club's sporting director – into his office for a dressing down.

The Frenchman was forced off the pitch in the first-half of the 3-0 win over Basle

The Frenchman was forced off the pitch in the first-half of the 3-0 win over Basle

The 24-year-old - and captain on the night - limped off at old Trafford after just 19 minutes

The 24-year-old - and captain on the night - limped off at old Trafford after just 19 minutes

While the incident is not expected to jeopardise talks over Herrera's new contract, and Mourinho praised the player's attitude last month, the change in their relationship has been noticed around the club.

'We used to joke that he was Jose's golden boy, and they were always chatting about the game,' said an insider on Thursday night.

'But the dynamic has changed since the end of last season. It's not the same.'

Another player to upset Mourinho, Andreas Pereira, insisted on Thursday that he wants to stay on loan at Valencia for the rest of the season despite a clause enabling United to recall him in January.

Herrera started his first game of the new season in the 2-2 draw away at Stoke on Saturday

Herrera started his first game of the new season in the 2-2 draw away at Stoke on Saturday

Mourinho criticised the 21-year-old midfielder, who also spent last season in Spain with Granada, for not wanting to stay and fight for a place at Old Trafford.

But Pereira said: 'It didn't hurt. I talked to him before coming here. I'm happy because he loves me and if he didn't think I was a good player he would not have wanted me to stay.

'If I thought negatively, it might hurt, but for me it's a good thing. I want to work hard and stay all year.

'I don't know about that clause. That is something between clubs. I was told I was going to play here for a year and I want to be here for a year.'

Meanwhile, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin admitted on Thursday that staging the Europa League final in the wake of the Manchester bomb attack was the hardest part of his first year in office.

Herrera has fallen out of favour with Jose Mourinho after an incident at the end of last season

Herrera has fallen out of favour with Jose Mourinho after an incident at the end of last season

United's 2-0 win over Ajax in Stockholm in May was overshadowed by the terrorist atrocity at the Manchester Arena just 48 hours earlier which left 22 dead and many more injured.

Ceferin said: 'It was very difficult for everyone to organise and play a football match at such a time.

'Our thoughts and those of the players were with the victims and their relatives, but in the end everyone agreed it was our common duty to show the world that we would not surrender.'