Paul Pogba injury: Red Devils star substituted in Manchester United vs. Basel

Things started off brilliantly for Manchester United in their return to the Champions League, easily controlling their group stage match against Swiss side FC Basel in the opening 15 minutes of the match. But that start has been marred for the Red Devils, in the form of an apparent hamstring injury to captain and key midfielder Paul Pogba.

The injury came when Pogba appeared to over-stretch a bit in a challenge for the ball, catching his heel a bit awkwardly on the rain-soaked turf at Old Trafford and immediately coming up holding the back of his left leg. The French star tried to jog the injury off, but it was less than two minutes before he was waving to the bench for a substitute and going down on the pitch.

It’s a major blow to United’s midfield, who don’t have anything resembling a like-for-like replacement for the incredibly dynamic Pogba. He’s been a huge part of their early-season successes, earning the captain’s armband and helping drive a hopeful resurrection of Manchester United as a dominant force in England.

If Pogba is out for very long, it could hurt their early push in the Premier League, with matches against Everton, Southampton, and Liverpool all coming up in the next month and the Red Devils needing a full-strength midfield for those tilts. Marouane Fellaini replaced Pogba against Basel, but they lack someone who gives them the same all-action presence and force in midfield that Pogba brings.