On Monday, Manchester United confirmed that Cote d'Ivoire defender Eric Bailly had suffered a medial ligament injury to his right knee and would miss both the final two matches of their season, as well as the African Cup of Nations.
He had been injured in the act of making a tackle against Chelsea on Sunday, a rare start for the 25-year old in something of a disaster campaign for him.
That 70 minute appearance could be described as a microcosm of his career at United; he was a surprise name in the starting XI having not started since the March 6 away to Paris Saint-Germain, but with Phil Jones and Chris Smalling injured, he got his chance.
During his time on the field, he played well; up against Gonzalo Higuain, he was confident with defending high up the pitch and passing the ball out from the back, knowing that the Argentine did not possess the pace or work-rate to trouble him.
One specifically good first half pass found Romelu Lukaku in the right channel, behind Chelsea’s midfield.
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Overall, it was a solid performance with three tackles, one interception and three clearances.
Sadly for the Bingerville-born defender, he hobbled off with twenty minutes to go after Ander Herrera’s tackle on Mateo Kovacic sent the Croatian into Bailly’s knee. He had rushed out to make a challenge in the sort of rash moment that has characterised his recent United performances.
The game felt like a story seen before for that reason.
Bailly was given the nod against PSG in March by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and had to go off injured in that game too, after a Marco Verratti challenge. He had been selected at right back in that game and given a very tough time, with his withdrawal described as a blessing in disguise by more than one pundit.
It feels like a lifetime ago that Bailly was being lauded by teammates for his early displays after joining the club.
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In his first season, he helped Jose Mourinho’s side to 12 clean sheets in his 24 Premier League starts, including nine shutouts in 13 after arriving back from the 2017 Afcon.
He made the Europa League squad of the season in May of that term, as United lifted the trophy in his suspension-enforced absence. He had been sent off in the 88th minute of the semi-final second leg against Celta Vigo and missed the final.
The Portuguese coach described the defender as phenomenal in the game but also as naïve to be sent off.
His second season under Mourinho started well enough, with six clean sheets in his first seven league starts. Sadly, an ankle injury ruled him out for over three months and 21 games. He never looked back at his real level after his return in late February.
Considering the player put himself forward to start a preseason match in July of 2018 despite carrying another ankle problem, and Mourinho praised him for this act, there has to be a feeling that his fitness was not being managed optimally.
Mourinho is well-known for growing frustrated with injured players, and was adamant that the club should sign at least one big name central defender in the summer window before this season. Bailly’s horror show in a 3-2 defeat to Brighton, where United trailed 3-0 at half-time with him conceding a penalty by diving in on Pascal Gross, seemed to further spur the coach on to criticise his club’s transfer policy.
After a defeat at West Ham, Mourinho took a clear dig at both Chief Executive Ed Woodward and at his own central defensive options, saying in his post-match television interview about the opposition: “The two centre-backs had a fantastic match, congratulations to the scout who found the 21-year-old kid [Issa] Diop – a monster who dominated everything in the duels”.
Not long before, it had been Bailly get those sorts of comments from his coach, teammates and fans. Bailly started three more times in the next 15 league games, including being hauled off after 19 minutes against Newcastle with the side 2-0 down.
Midfielder Nemanja Matic dropped into defence, and Scott McTominay even started matches in a back three ahead of him.
Things under Solskjaer have barely been any better, with just five starts in his 27 matches since taking over.
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L’Équipe reported a week ago that he is a top transfer target for Olympique Lyonnais this summer, but his injury may put paid to any immediate move. His bad luck on the fitness front also denies him the chance to impress and provoke interest from bigger clubs than Lyon.
The reasons for this fall from grace are difficult to pinpoint.
He plays in sides which generally give good cover to their central defenders, so he is not often left exposed or hung out to dry on counter attacks. The competition for a place at United is hardly tough, yet players like Smalling are considered safer options than Bailly’s inconsistent and unreliable displays.
Perhaps his fitness issues were not truly behind him even before this knee injury, as his timing and reading of the game have been visibly affected.
Perhaps his confidence has also taken a dip.
This latest setback is a huge blow to his country’s chance in June and July – Bailly’s performances in qualification were outstanding as he kept three clean sheets and scored two goals in the four games he played.
Words: James O'Conners
