Donny van de Beek has struggled to break into Manchester United’s starting eleven. On Tuesday night, the Dutch midfielder had the rare opportunity to start against Bournemouth.
Sadly, a knee injury sustained during the Premier League clash now threatens the end of United’s 25-year career (via AD).
Misfortune and a bleak outlook
The midfielder has had a torrid time at Old Trafford but, to his credit, he has continued to fight to gain a foothold in Erik ten Hag’s team.
Unbeknownst to van de Beek, his worst nightmare was about to come true after finally getting started.
The culprit was none other than Marcos Senesi from Bournemouth.
The former Feyenoord player shot into the air and slid across the rain-soaked turf to snatch the ball from Van de Beek. The Ref Watch panel agreed that there was no malicious intent.
However, the resulting tackle left Van de Beek writhing in pain with his knee thrown unnaturally to the side.
The incident occurred moments before halftime. The pain-defying Dutchman walked boldly to the touchline.
In a post-game interview, boss Ten Hag struggled to offer hope to the Old Trafford faithful, saying: “It looks bad.”
The chances of a speedy recovery look bleak for the Dutch midfielder. Indeed it seems to end the dream of Van de Beek United.
Where everything began
Van de Beek joined United from Ajax on 2 September 2020, and faced stiff competition under then-manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The Red Devils already had three well-established playmakers: Paul Pogba, Bruno Fernandes, and Juan Mata. Also, defensively, Van de Beek lacked grit and aggression.
He also failed to adapt to Solskjaer’s preferred style of play. However, there seemed to be light at the end of the tunnel when Solskjaer resigned.
Despite the appointment of temporary boss Ralf Rangnick, Van de Beek was loaned out to Everton, United’s next FA Cup opponent.
Due to injury, Van de Beek was unable to get regular games. During his tenure with the Toffees, a groin injury kept the playmaker off the pitch for eight consecutive games.
The arrival of Ten Hag offered the United No.34 a respite from his woes at Goodison Park. Unfortunately, the respite was short-lived as, once again, injuries and stiff competition for a midfield spot kept the Dutch midfielder out.
In April, Van de Beek turns 26. Time is not on the player’s side, and a flourishing career with Manchester United quickly begins to seem beyond his grasp.
