Manchester United might want to reassess their plans for Brandon Williams and Diogo Dalot following the latest news about Alex Telles.
United confirmed yesterday that Telles will certainly miss the start of the season thanks to an ankle injury sustained in training.
“Unfortunately, it’s worse news on Alex Telles than we hoped for, his ankle injury is a little bit more severe than we hoped and he’ll be out for a little spell at least, the whole of August I would think,” admitted Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
This is a blow to the Red Devils preparations as they gear up to face Leeds United in just over two weeks.
Solskjaer is already facing the possibility of being without Luke Shaw for the clash at Elland Road.
Shaw played three games at the European Championships with broken ribs.
The extent of the damage will need to be evaluated when he returns from his holiday, which may mean he misses the Premier League’s opening weekend.
Based on this scenario, United would be down to one recognised first-team left-back in Williams.
Despite developing as a right-back, the 20-year-old has spent most of his senior career on the opposite side of defence.
Another option could be to field Dalot on the left flank.
Like Williams, the Portuguese international can be deployed down either channel, yet he is much more comfortable on the right.
Red Devils in danger
Injuries to Telles and Shaw hasn’t just scuppered Solskjaer’s pre-season arrangements, but also his summer transfer strategies for his other two full-backs.
Southampton have reportedly shown serious interest in Williams, whilst Everton are seemingly in the hunt for Dalot.
Even if Shaw’s diagnosis isn’t too serious, United will need at least one more player in reserve when the campaign kicks off.
This may mean holding off on any more defensive outgoings until the final day of the window, where loan moves could still be on the cards.
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