"He better not be injured" "A very big miss today" - Manchester United fans fear for key player as he's left out of matchday squad for Newcastle clash

Manchester United fans were worried to see Christian Eriksen dropped from the matchday squad for their team's Premier League clash against Newcastle United on Sunday (October 16).

The Denmark international has been a revelation in manager Erik ten Hag's team ever since he joined them on a free transfer this summer. He has assisted three goals in his 12 appearances across competitions this season.

However, the Red Devils will have to navigate through this tricky Premier League clash against the Toons without the former Brentford star's services. Instead, the Dutch tactician has gone with a double pivot featuring Casemiro and Fred.

The two Brazilians started together to great effect in United's UEFA Europa League win against Omonia on October 13. Eriksen's absence naturally raises concerns about the midfielder's fitness and whether he has faced a fitness issue.

Here are some of the best reactions to Eriksen's exclusion from United fans, as found on Twitter:

Elsewhere, Cristiano Ronaldo has been handed just his second Premier League start of the season. The Portugal international last started a domestic match for United on August 13, when the Red Devils lost 4-0 to Brentford in London.

Anthony Martial is an obvious exclusion from the 20-man squad after he picked up a first-half injury in a 2-1 win against Everton on October 10.

A Manchester United win vs Newcastle United would see them enter top four above Chelsea

Manchester City and Arsenal seem unstoppable at the moment, which is why Manchester United would be wise to temper their expectations this season.

After finishing in sixth position last campaign, a top-four finish would be seen as a successful achievement under Ten Hag. The opportunity to play in the UEFA Champions League has become akin to a trophy for some teams.

Ronaldo's desire to leave the club after they missed out on Champions League football underlines the importance of the competition towards a club's pull in the transfer market. United will have the opportunity to leapfrog Chelsea in the table on Sunday (October 16).

A win or a draw against Newcastle would, at least temporarily, ensure that United are fourth in the table. Chelsea, who have one more point (16) than United after eight league games, are set to take on strugglers Aston Villa today.

About the author

Aniket is a senior editor for Tennis, Golf, Motorsport, and Olympics at Sportskeeda, having 4 years of previous experience. He is also a European and International football writer at SK, with over 2,600 articles under his belt. He started following football in 2004 after watching the Champions League semi-final between Liverpool and Juventus, and has been a Reds fan ever since.

You cannot convince him that Virgil van Dijk isn't the best defender to grace the beautiful game. Liverpool’s comeback against Borussia Dortmund in the Europa League quarter-finals in 2016 left a lasting impact on Aniket since it inspired him to get through a tough phase at the time.

An expert researcher with an OCD-like eye for perfection, Aniket follows matches closely to add interesting facts and statistics to his articles. He double-checks all information, uses only established publications as sources, and always maintains an unbiased tone in his articles.

When not writing, he enjoys playing FIFA and Forza on his Xbox. He also listens to hip-hop, classical rock, and electronic music, and enjoys watching Rick and Morty, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and Family Guy.

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