The Manchester United defender Eric Bailly will be out of action for “two to three months” because he needs surgery on an ankle injury.
United had hoped that Bailly might not need surgery to solve the persistent ankle problem that has plagued the defender since he picked up the injury with Ivory Coast in October. The 23-year-old has not played since United’s defeat against Chelsea on 5 November.
“He [Bailly] goes to surgery, the decision is made,” said the manager, José Mourinho, speaking to MUTV. “I don’t say [he’s out] for the rest of the season but it’s for the next two or three months.”
Mourinho did not address the tunnel fracas following the defeat to Manchester City directly, but alluded to the issue in his press conference ahead of Sunday’s trip to West Bromwich Albion.
“I don’t like a circus when you win and you’re happy. I don’t like a sad place when you lose and you’re not happy,” he said. “The next day after City the place was normal as I like it to be. I like balance.”
Both United and City had until 6pm on Friday to provide their observations to the FA over the melee, which allegedly saw water and milk thrown at Mourinho and City coach Mikel Arteta sustain a cut to the head.
Mourinho also had a pointed answer to questions about Romelu Lukaku’s muted goal celebration against Bournemouth.
“I didn’t celebrate either. I don’t celebrate goals in a very enthusiastic way. I control my emotions,” he said.
“After that goal there is a long time to go and anything can happen in football. I’m not acting to the cameras or the fans. Romelu scores goals quite regularly. It was a nice goal with 20 minutes to go. Maybe tomorrow - and I mean one of the future matches - he scores a goal that he feels with a different emotion.
“If you score a goal in the last minute that gives you the victory in the last minute then yes. You lose your balance and you don’t control your emotion: you react in an emotional way.”
After Wednesday’s victory, Mourinho had refused to be pessimistic about his squad being further depleted because of injury. “During the whole season we’ve had problems with central defenders but because the number is four or five, we manage always to have [players available] and Chris Smalling is playing amazingly well for seven or eight matches in a row maybe, so we are fine,” he said.
Bailly’s absence leaves Phil Jones, Marcos Rojo, Victor Lindelof and Smalling to cover the central-defensive area, but with the transfer window coming into view Mourinho may have other options too, and admits he may be tempted to do business if the right individuals came along.
“I’m not a big defender of the January market but there are players and situations that sometimes you have the chance to do and you shouldn’t lose that chance.” “I don’t like the January market just to buy but if you can buy in January a player that you would buy in June or July and you have the chance to get him a few months before then great, but just that.”
One player who may fit the bill is Antoine Griezmann, the France striker who has long been linked with United. The forward’s departure from Atlético Madrid appeared to move closer on Friday after comments from their manager, Diego Simeone, telling L’Équipe “of course he can leave at some point”.