Manchester United forward Alejandro Garnacho left Old Trafford on crutches following his side’s 0-0 draw with Southampton.
Garnacho was a second half substitute as ten-men United were held to a goalless draw by relegation-battling Southampton in Sunday’s Premier League action. The Argentine did not complete the match, however, after sustaining a knock following a heavy tackle by Kyle Walker-Peters. The tackle by the Saints right-back was a clean one but left Garnacho in a heap inside the penalty area and requiring lengthy treatment. The forward was able to return to the pitch and had appeared to shake off the worst of the injury but he looked to be playing in a small degree of pain. Erik Ten Hag withdrew the forward late in the game to introduce combative midfielder Fred, leading to fears that Garnacho may have been making his situation worse.
Garnacho was later seen wearing a grey protective boot and using the aid of two crutches as he exited the stadium after his right ankle was caught by Kyle Walker-Peters’ challenge. If the Argentine is to face a lengthy spell on the sideline, it would come as a blow to United, who have Europa League and FA Cup fixtures to come in the coming week. United boss Erik ten Hag did not seem overly concerned with the injury, however. Speaking at a post-match press conference, he said;
“He was limping a bit after the tackle so in the end they bring on another striker, we were already down to 10 men.” Garnacho has made 15 appearances in the Premier League this season and four of those have been starts. The 18-year-old is close to signing a new deal to extend his Old Trafford stay.
Garnacho, who burst onto the scene under coach Erik ten Hag this season, was born in Spain and spent part of his youth career with Getafe and Atletico Madrid before moving to United. He represented the Spain Under-18s but then featured for the Argentina U20s and while he has been called up to the senior squad for their upcoming matches against Panama and Curacao, he is still free to choose between the two national teams. Garnacho is eligible to represent Argentina due to his mother being Argentine, but the Red Devils winger has not made a senior appearance in his international career. 
Martinez has however said that there is no chance of Garnacho turning out for La Roja. He told TyC Sports: “The truth is that Garna is an excellent boy, with a lot of personality because he is 18 years old and is starting in a very big team and with a lot of pressure, you have to have personality, right? That’s what I like about him, he’s going to play headline or enters 10, 15 minutes and gives the best of him. “[Garnacho] is with me here, forget about it. I’ll make sure [he plays for Argentina]. The only way is to go there with me.” 
Insiders told ESPN that Garnacho opened talks over a contract extension late last year, and has now reached an agreement for a 5-year deal with the English club. All that remains to be finalized before the terms can be made official are some aspects relating to Garnacho’s image rights. The new deal will see his salary adjusted according to his new status in Erik ten Hag’s squad due to the progress he has made since making his first team debut last April. He is currently thought to be earning around £7,000 per week, so the starting point of his new salary will be a healthy increase to reflect his rise from the youth ranks to a first-team regular since his debut last April. 
Garnacho has since made 27 appearances for United, scoring three goals, and has been one of the revelations of the Premier League season so far. Given his roots, and Real Madrid’s history of luring wingers away from Old Trafford, there were concerns an early switch to the Bernabeu may have been on the cards next year. Los Blancos have been reportedly monitoring his progress and would no doubt be interested in taking him back to the Spanish capital if he fulfils his world-class potential. Garnacho left Atletico Madrid’s academy for United in 2020 and has gone from strength to strength since, skyrocketing up the senior pecking order.