Ángel Di María has given Louis van Gaal another finess scare after the Manchester United forward had his right foot x-rayed following an injury during Argentina’s 1-0 defeat by Portugal in a friendly at Old Trafford.
The incident occurred in the 18th minute when Nani, whom Van Gaal has allowed to be loaned to Sporting Lisbon, trod on Di María. The 26-year-old hobbled off before rejoining the game but he was replaced on the hour.
Di María said: “It was just a blow. I hope it doesn’t swell any more so I can play at the weekend.” Gerardo Martino, the Argentina manager, said Di María had undergone a scan. “We don’t think it’s anything serious. It was quite a tough blow he took. It was a tough knock. It cut the skin a bit.
“But we have had a look and are evaluating the situation. We are looking at some x-rays, some images we took, but in spite of that we do not think it’s too serious.”
United play Arsenal in Saturday’s late kick-off with 10 players injured or in recovery so Van Gaal will wait anxiously to discover Di María’s condition.
Left-back Luke Shaw’s participation in that game could also be in doubt after he was withdrawn in the second half of England’s win over Scotland on Tuesday. The 19-year-old complained of stiffness in his groin and was taken off in the 66th minute of the 3-1 win.
