He was the best player that Manchester United signed this summer and we welcomed Louis van Gaal’s rather surprising emphasis on attacking purchases.
Because the best sides in the world don’t always have the best defence. But they typically have the most dangerous forwards. And while Manchester United already had the stellar talents of Rvp and Rooney, refreshments were needed – players who could apply pressure to the first team and offer something different. And Falcao was a wonderful acquisition in theory at least.
He’s one of the best finishers in the game and has so many qualities – heading, dribbling, shooting off either foot and leading the line – that his signing was a potentially game changing one.
But almost three months into the season and we have hardly seen him. When he has played we have seen his class – the sensational left-footed cross for RvP’s goal at Leicester (a game in which he also hit the bar with a wonderfully instinctive strike) and the poacher’s goal against Everton.
But he hasn’t played since the last international break and Manchester United haven’t released precise details of his current injury – this leads to natural concern that it’s a problem with the knee that kept him out for most of 2014. The Telegraph reported yesterday that:
He has missed the last two games with a calf injury and will not be fit to face Crystal Palace at Old Trafford on Saturday.
But we are hoping for more positive news from Louis van Gaal in his weekly press conference this afternoon.
We genuinely hope, for the spectacle of The Premier League, that Falcao returns this weekend to assuage the fears of the Manchester United faithful. Because a fit Falcao can be the star of The Premier League, bar none.
Manchester United fans: Do you think that Falcao’s injury is just a knock or something more serious?