Harry Maguire has issued a message to Manchester United fans following the news he won’t feature in the club’s opening Champions League match of the season.
The Red Devils will travel to the Parc des Princes on Tuesday night to lock horns with French champions Paris Saint-Germain in their Group H opener.
United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, however, won’t be able to call on the services of his skipper for his side’s visit to the French capital.
Maguire, who has endured a torrid season for club and country, has reportedly been left in Manchester as he’s dealing with a small muscular tear.
United have yet to confirm if that is indeed the case, although the England defender has revealed he’ll miss the club’s clash with Parisians due to injury.
“Disappointed to miss tomorrow’s game through injury,” the world’s most expensive defender wrote on Instagram. “I’ll be working hard to get back fit ASAP.
“The start of our #ChampionsLeague campaign #MUFC.”
Portugal international Bruno Fernandes – the brightest light in what has so far been a dark season for United – will deputise as Red Devils captain in Maguire’s stead.
“For me, it’s an honour,” the former Sporting Lisbon man said. “I will be captain for my teammates and to be captain of Manchester United is an important achievement for me.
“But I think everyone is the captain. Everyone needs to help and be a leader in their own way, leadership is different in every player. Tomorrow will not be about me but the team.
Newcastle United (a) – Premier League, Oct 17
Paris Saint-Germain (a) – Champions League, Oct 20
Chelsea (h) – Premier League, Oct 24
RB Leipzig (h) – Champions League, Oct 28
Arsenal (h) – Premier League, Nov 1
Istanbul Basaksehir (a), Champions League, Nov 4
Everton (a) – Premier League, Nov 7
“Leading is every day in the training ground, every game and everyone is doing their job to lead the team in the way they think is best.”
United will go into their clash with the French champions full of confidence as they ran out 3-1 winners over Thomas Tuchel’s side in their last meeting in the 2018-19 season.
Solskjaer has fond memories of that last-16 tie – which virtually guaranteed him the manager’s role on a permanent basis – but insists that result will have no bearing on Tuesday’s match.
“Of course that (the 3-1 win in 2019) is history for us, it is in the past,” he said. “Great history, but it has no impact whatsoever on this game. We are different, they are different and it is a different stage of the competition.”
