Marouane Fellaini to miss Manchester United's CSKA Moscow match with injury
Marouane Fellaini will miss Manchester United’s Champions League game away to CSKA Moscow on Wednesday after the Belgium midfielder was the victim of an ugly challenge from Southampton striker Shane Long that has left manager Jose Mourinho seething.
Fellaini was not among the travelling party due to travel to Moscow on Monday after injuring his left ankle in the incident, which is an untimely blow for Mourinho with fellow midfielder Paul Pogba already absent with a hamstring injury.
Long was booked towards the end of the first half of United’s 1-0 win at St Mary’s after lunging in on Fellaini but United believe the reaction to the foul would have been far more severe had the shoe been on the other foot and the Belgian committed a similar challenge.
United are of the view that Long’s recklessness warranted far greater scrutiny than it received and that Fellaini, who has a reputation for being physical and aggressive, would have been jumped on had he been guilty of similar behaviour.
Long was lucky to escape a red card, and although Fellaini managed to play on through the pain, he is not fit to face CSKA and has been left behind in Manchester for treatment as a consequence.
Fellaini has been in impressive form for United this season, moving ahead of Ander Herrera in the midfield pecking order, and winning over many fans who had struggled to take to him following his £27.5 million move from Everton in 2013.
He has been jeered and sarcastically applauded by elements of the fanbase in the past but Mourinho has never been afraid to trumpet the player’s abilities and has been eagerly underlining his importance in recent weeks.
Fellaini is out of contract at Old Trafford next summer and has been linked with a move to Galatasaray but Mourinho is hoping the Belgian will commit his future to the club before then.
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