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.
Manchester United have jetted off to Russia without Marouane Fellaini after the Belgian failed to recover from an ankle injury suffered at Southampton on Saturday.
Jose Mourinho’s side left Manchester airport on Monday afternoon ahead of continuing their Champions League campaign against CSKA Moscow on Wednesday.
Fellaini was hurt in a tackle by Southampton’s Shane Long in United’s hard-fought 1-0 win and hasn’t travelled with his team-mates.
Nemanja Matic, however, was on the plane after being a question mark following the game at St Mary’s, as the Manchester Evening News reports.
Eric Bailly is also in the squad having served his European suspension and is in line to make his Champions League debut for the club.
United began their European campaign with a 3-0 victory over Basel and now have tricky away trips to face CSKA Moscow and Benfica.
There were 19 United players seen at the airport, one less than Mourinho’s usual 20-man party.
Also not seen were Phil Jones, Antonio Valencia and Michael Carrick.
Bailly was one of the players singled out for praise by his manager following the weekend’s Premier League victory at St Mary’s Stadium.
Mourinho said: "Very good (Bailly and Jones) and also Smalling, we did for 20 minutes what the majority of the Premier League teams are doing, which is to play defensive with five at the back, we did that for 20 minutes.
"We had chances to kill the game, we had chances to score the second goal, we didn’t.
"And then I honestly felt Southampton strong, I felt the manager enthusiastic, excited, risking, bringing two strikers like Gabbiadini and Austin to play direct to try to do a style that is also not normally their style and then I made the decision to bring on Smalling.
“And the team was solid, good solidarity, good organisation, good spirit and amazing points.”
Juan Mata did not dwell long on the Southampton game, and is already focused on the long trip to Russia - the second of a run of six away games in seven fixtures.
Writing in his weekly blog, he said: "The three points keep us up in the table and with a high level of confidence, but that’s the past already "The schedule doesn’t allow for a break and we’re now focused on the Champions League.
"We pack our bags and travel to Moscow, where we play on Wednesday. It’s a long trip with two hours of time difference that will demand a quick adjustment.
"After winning the first game in the group stage it would be great to do the same in such a top clash.
"CSKA Moscow is a classic in European football. They won all their games in the two previous ties before the group stage, which they have started with an extraordinary victory in Lisbon.
“Needless to say, it’s going to be a very difficult game, as they all are in the Champions League anyway. We know how excited you are about this competition and we will give everything we have to live up to your expectations.”
Man United fans are very unhappy to learn that Marouane Fellaini has been ruled out of their Champions League trip to Moscow - but not just because they’ll be weaker without him.
The Belgian was fouled by Southampton’s Shane Long in the Red Devils’ 1-0 win this weekend, after he raked his studs down the back of Fellaini’s left ankle.
Fellaini was unable to travel with the United squad for Wednesday’s group stage tie against CSKA Moscow because of the injury, and fans have taken to Twitter to complain.
Many shared Jose Mourinho’s outrage in the fact Long, who was booked for the challenge, missed out on being shown a red card. But even more made the claim that things would have been different if the situation had gone the other way.
“If roles were reversed there Fellaini would probably have seen red,” wrote one, while another added: “Should be a straight red, like it would have been if Fellaini stamped on someone like that.”
A third wrote: “Said at the time the tackle should have been a sending off, you can bet your life savings Fellaini would have seen red if he’d have done it.”
Fellaini is set to undergo further medical tests this week to determine the extent of the damage, which could see him sidelined for several games.
Man Utd boss Jose Mourinho was sent off against Southampton
That’s according to former referee Graham Poll who says the Portuguese was unlucky to be sent off against the Saints.
Mourinho was givien his marching orders for encroaching on the pitch.
But Poll says the former Chelsea chief’s reputation of rubbing up official’s the wrong way could have been an influencing factor.
He told the Daily Mail: “Jose Mourinho appeared a little unlucky to be sent from the technical area for slight encroachment on the field in an over-exuberant act.
“However, that could well have been the straw that broke the camel’s back in the light of his history with match officials.
Jonathan Ofolabi’s eagerness won the spot-kick, which was calmly converted by fullback McQueen, and perhaps the advantage could have been greater if Saints were able to capitalise on plenty of meaningful second half possession.
West Brom entered the tie in unfavourable form - beaten in their previous three league fixtures - as they continued to prop up the foot of the Premier League 2 standings, while Saints were buoyed by a convincing win over Stoke a week ago.
The visitors rode some early pressure as a succession of corners were delivered invitingly in to the Saints’ penalty area.
And the away side were nearly the architects of their own downfall in the preamble, as a miscued back pass allowed first-team regular Nacer Chadli a chance to intercept in a threatening position. Unable to gather the ball, Saints were forced to heed the early warning sign, and soon stepped up a gear.
Last week’s third goal scorer, Callum Slattery, began to find pockets of space in between the lines, after using the opening ten minutes to assess his surroundings. The no.10 often had Marcus Barnes for company, once electing to use the winger, and once using his run as a decoy to manoeuvre enough space for a shot.
Tyreke Johnson - who had the beating of his marker throughout the first half - fashioned a chance for lone frontman Afolabi in the 25th minute, using his athleticism to shake off an Albion defender before deftly feeding the ball in to the path of the onrushing striker.
Afolabi’s first touch was heavy, but the teenager still managed to test Alex Palmer in the Baggies’ goal, who found adequate reply to the low shot, saving with his feet.
34 minutes had passed before Saints forcibly called Palmer in to action, strong-arming the 'keeper in to some one-handed acrobatics, just as the ball looked destined for the net. The hefty presence of McQueen and stand-in defender Ollie Cook were causing unease among the Albion defensive line, before a second headed effort was sent over the bar by the latter.
Saints finished the half the stronger, and started the second period in much the same manner. Thomas O’Conner had the pick of the passes as the visitors began to dominate once more, threading an incisive ball in to McQueen, but the fullback’s cross wasn’t able to locate a red and white shirt.
Full of energy, McQueen gracefully danced through the Albion backline moments later, before Johnson disappointedly blasted high and wide of the target.
Johnson again, an increasing threat drifting inside, drove a fierce shot goalward in the 72nd minute, before the referee gifted Saints the chance to open the scoring.
Tireless up front, Afolabi was hauled down by the Albion shot stopper, who was dismissed for his troubles, and McQueen was then given the task of holding his nerve against substitute 'keeper Bradley House.
The 22-year-old calmly slotted home from 12 yards, edging Saints in front with ten minutes remaining; a goal which proved decisive and sent the visitors home with three deserving points.
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