Sofyan Amrabat completed a loan move to Manchester United on transfer deadline day, but during his medical examination, staff detected a back issue. Despite the injury concern, the transfer proceeded as planned.
Manchester United became aware of a slight back injury concerning Sofyan Amrabat before finalizing his deadline day move to Old Trafford. Amrabat has joined United on a season-long loan from Fiorentina, with the club holding an option to make the transfer permanent next summer for a fee of approximately £21.5 million.
United discovered he had a slight back injury during his medical
Sofyan Amrabat was the fourth addition for Manchester United on deadline day. The club also signed goalkeeper Altay Bayindir from Fenerbahce, secured the loan of left-back Sergio Reguilon from Tottenham, and reached an agreement with free agent Jonny Evans for a one-year deal.
However, the Athletic are reporting that United staff found that Amrabat had a ‘minor back injury’ during his medical, but pushed through the deal as it was not thought to be serious.
Sofyan Amrabat had previously disclosed that he grappled with a back issue during the 2022 World Cup held in Qatar. Despite this challenge, he played a key role for Morocco, helping them reach the semi-finals and securing significant upset victories against European heavyweights Belgium, Spain, and Portugal during the tournament.
Sofyan Amrabat came close to missing Morocco’s historic penalty shoot-out victory against Spain due to a back injury. Despite this, he managed to play the full 120 minutes of the match after receiving a painkilling injection before the game. He later revealed, “What people don’t realize is that I didn’t even know I could play that game,” in an interview with the Athletic in March.
Was Sofyan Amrabat a mistake ?
“I had a back injury. It came out of nowhere, the day before the game. I couldn’t move, my back was locked. I worked with the physio until three in the morning to try to make it better. We tried everything and I didn’t sleep at all because it was so stressful. All I was thinking was, ‘Can I play?’.
Despite the pain and uncertainty, on the morning of the game against Spain, Sofyan Amrabat was still experiencing discomfort. However, the coach conveyed the importance of his presence, stating that he had to play because the team needed him in the World Cup. For Amrabat, not playing was not even an option. Nevertheless, he was nervous about the possibility of not performing at his best and letting down his team.
“I didn’t know how I was going to do it. I hadn’t slept, I felt tired, I had back pain. I did the warm-up and I was still not good. So I told the coach again, ‘I want to play, but as long as you know you may have to change me after 10 minutes’.
Ten hag is entering a difficult period
“I had an injection and when I heard the referee’s whistle I just forgot everything. I played like crazy. It was 120 minutes because the game went to extra time. I ran 15 kilometres, the most of everyone on the pitch.”
