Manchester United could be without their captain Harry Maguire for several weeks as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admitted failure to beat Villarreal on Wednesday could leave Manchester United in the last-chance saloon in the Champions League.
Solskjaer could be without three-quarters of his preferred defence, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka suspended and Luke Shaw facing a fitness test after missing training on Tuesday, as he accepted United need victory if they are to have any margin for error left in the premier continental competition.
And while Shaw’s injury is not as serious, Maguire, who also came off in Saturday’s home defeat to Old Trafford, could be sidelined for a potentially defining and difficult period, with United facing Everton, Leicester, Atalanta (twice), Liverpool, Tottenham and Manchester City before the November international break.
“It doesn’t look good,” Solskjaer said. “It's his calf, that might take a few weeks. Let's see how quickly he recovers. I’ll give Luke a chance to be involved but he didn’t train with the team.”
Victor Lindelof is likely to replace Maguire, with Diogo Dalot set to stand in for Wan-Bissaka, who was sent off in the defeat to Young Boys of Bern, and Alex Telles the probable deputy for Shaw if he is not available, though Solskjaer suggested he may alter the formation to use a back five. “The more injuries you get you might need to do tactical changes,” he added.
United have never beaten Villarreal, with four 0-0 draws under Alex Ferguson followed by a 1-1 in May’s Europa League final, which the Spanish side won 11-10 on penalties after David de Gea missed the decisive spot kick.
And Solskjaer believes that unless United end their wait for a victory they may need to beat Atalanta home and away, plus Villarreal in Spain and Young Boys at Old Trafford.
“It is a group stage, there are only six games and you need 10 or maybe 12 points to go through,” he said. “We lost three points last time. If you end up with zero or one point after two games you need to win the last four games probably. It is not a must-win game but an important one.”
Solskjaer conceded United found it difficult to create chances against Villarreal in May but takes solace from Cristiano Ronaldo’s ability to find their net. The Portuguese played in all four stalemates between the clubs in his first spell at Old Trafford but struck 13 times in 15 La Liga games for Real Madrid.
“He enjoys playing against them,” the Norwegian said. “He has that record. You can almost say when he starts it is one guaranteed goal.”
United have lost three of their last four games in all competitions but Solskjaer insisted he is not feeling the strain. “Pressure is a privilege,” he added. “To work in this environment, you have to embrace the pressure. We are in a results business, we are here to win.”
He has accepted he needs to secure silverware, especially after this summer’s heavy investment in Jadon Sancho, Raphael Varane and Ronaldo. Former United captain Gary Neville has made that point and Solskjaer responded: “If he said we need to win a trophy this season or next because of the backing, I've got to say yes. I have been backed and the process has worked well. It seems to me that we’re sticking to that plan.”
Villarreal manager Unai Emery feels his side start as underdogs but argued they did when they won the Europa League as well. “We don’t fear them but we have a high respect,” he said. “Manchester United is the clear favourite. It was also the favourite in the final.”
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
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The Internet
Hive Mind
four stars
Company profile
Name: Dukkantek
Started: January 2021
Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani
Based: UAE
Number of employees: 140
Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service)
Investment: $5.2 million
Funding stage: Seed round
Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
Match statistics
Dubai Sports City Eagles 8 Dubai Exiles 85
Eagles
Try: Bailey
Pen: Carey
Exiles
Tries: Botes 3, Sackmann 2, Fourie 2, Penalty, Walsh, Gairn, Crossley, Stubbs
Cons: Gerber 7
Pens: Gerber 3
Man of the match: Tomas Sackmann (Exiles)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Should late investors consider cryptocurrencies?
Wealth managers recommend late investors to have a balanced portfolio that typically includes traditional assets such as cash, government and corporate bonds, equities, commodities and commercial property.
They do not usually recommend investing in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies due to the risk and volatility associated with them.
“It has produced eye-watering returns for some, whereas others have lost substantially as this has all depended purely on timing and when the buy-in was. If someone still has about 20 to 25 years until retirement, there isn’t any need to take such risks,” Rupert Connor of Abacus Financial Consultant says.
He adds that if a person is interested in owning a business or growing a property portfolio to increase their retirement income, this can be encouraged provided they keep in mind the overall risk profile of these assets.
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EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
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Zimbabwe v UAE, ODI series
All matches at the Harare Sports Club:
1st ODI, Wednesday, April 10
2nd ODI, Friday, April 12
3rd ODI, Sunday, April 14
4th ODI, Tuesday, April 16
UAE squad: Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
THURSDAY FIXTURES
4.15pm: Italy v Spain (Group A)
5.30pm: Egypt v Mexico (Group B)
6.45pm: UAE v Japan (Group A)
8pm: Iran v Russia (Group B)
Euro 2020
Group A: Italy, Switzerland, Wales, Turkey
Group B: Belgium, Russia, Denmark, Finland
Group C: Netherlands, Ukraine, Austria,
Georgia/Kosovo/Belarus/North Macedonia
Group D: England, Croatia, Czech Republic,
Scotland/Israel/Norway/Serbia
Group E: Spain, Poland, Sweden,
N.Ireland/Bosnia/Slovakia/Ireland
Group F: Germany, France, Portugal,
Iceland/Romania/Bulgaria/Hungary
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
When Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi
Known as The Lady of Arabic Song, Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi on November 28, 1971, as part of celebrations for the fifth anniversary of the accession of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as Ruler of Abu Dhabi. A concert hall was constructed for the event on land that is now Al Nahyan Stadium, behind Al Wahda Mall. The audience were treated to many of Kulthum's most well-known songs as part of the sold-out show, including Aghadan Alqak and Enta Omri.
