MANCHESTER: Alexis Sanchez’s miserable spell at Manchester United took another turn for the worse on Friday with manager Jose Mourinho announcing he faces several weeks out with a hamstring injury.
The 29-year-old Chilean forward, dropped from the squad for Tuesday’s 1-0 Champions League win over Swiss outfit Young Boys, suffered the injury in training on Thursday.
“It is an aggressive muscular injury,” Mourinho said at Friday’s press conference.
“He has not had a scan yet but the player is experienced. He knows what injury is.
“From my experience, the painful scream and way it happened, it will be a long time.
“It is not a little muscular injury that he will be ready in a week or 10 days.
“For me and Alexis Sanchez, the grade is different to the one that Lindelof (expected to miss three weeks due to a thigh strain suffered against Crystal Palace last weekend) has and that was not easy.”
Sanchez’s came on as a substitute in the league games against Manchester City and Crystal Palace. He last started in the victory at Juventus in the Champions League on November 7.
Meanwhile, Mourinho said he is confident Spanish international goalkeeper David de Gea will sign a new deal linking him long-term to Old Trafford.
The 28-year-old de Gea’s long-term future at the club has been shrouded in uncertainty, although the club this week did activate an option to extend his current contract by a year, meaning he is now signed up until June 2020.
Manchester United's Jose Mourinho expects to be without Alexis Sanchez until January
Manchester United's Jose Mourinho expects to be without Alexis Sanchez until January
Alcaraz and Sabalenka set sights on Australian Open fourth round
- Spanish world number one Alcaraz came through a tough three-set arm-wrestle in round two
- Top seed Sabalenka, a two-time Australian Open champion, faces Russia-born Austrian Anastasia Potapova
MELBOURNE: Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka return to the Australian Open battlefield on Friday with fourth round berths at stake, joined in the fight by third seeds Coco Gauff and Alexander Zverev.
Spanish world number one Alcaraz came through a tough three-set arm-wrestle in round two and faces another tricky encounter against French 32nd seed Corentin Moutet.
The 22-year-old has again been handed an afternoon match on Rod Laver Arena, once more following Sabalenka on to Melbourne Park’s center court.
The Belarusian top seed Sabalenka, a two-time Australian Open champion, faces Russia-born Austrian Anastasia Potapova to kick-off day six where temperatures are forecast to soar.
Alcaraz, who is bidding for a career Grand Slam of all four majors, said his testing 7-6 (7/4), 6-3, 6-2 victory over Yannick Hanfmann in round two served him well.
“I’m still getting used to the conditions, getting used to playing better,” said the six-time Grand Slam winner.
“Just happy that I’m just improving every day after every match. So hopefully being better in the next round.”
Alcaraz has never gone past the quarter-finals in his four trips to Australia.
Should he beat Moutet, he will meet either American 19th seed Tommy Paul or Spanish 14th seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina to make the last eight once again.
Sabalenka, as the overwhelming favorite, was upset by Madison Keys in last year’s final but insists revenge is not her motivation.
“I look at each match as a new match, new opportunity. I have also been working really hard,” she said.
“For me, it doesn’t matter what was in the past. For me, it’s the new match.”
Like Sabalenka, Gauff has been impressive so far, saying she was “near perfect” in making the third round.
She faces fellow American Hailey Baptiste, ranked 70, on Margaret Court Arena.
World number three Gauff takes to the court after Russia’s three-time runner-up Daniil Medvedev, who lines up against Hungary’s Fabian Marozan.
Last year’s beaten finalist Zverev has dropped a set in both his opening two matches and will have a tough encounter in an evening clash on John Cain Arena against British 26th seed Cameron Norrie.
Women’s seventh seed Jasmine Paolini and men’s 10th seed Alexander Bublik are also in action.
Home hope and sixth seed Alex De Minaur has again been awarded the night match on center court, this time against dangerous American Frances Tiafoe.
Eighth seed Mirra Andreeva rounds out the day’s action on Rod Laver Arena in a clash with Romania’s Elena-Gabriela Ruse.
