Manchester, March 17 (IANS) Manchester United's progress to the Europa League quarter-finals was overshadowed by the world's most expensive footballer Paul Pogba's injury during their 1-0 win over Rostov here.
United beat Russian side Rostov 1-0 at the Old Trafford on Thursday, bringing it to an aggregate of 2-1 after both sides tied at 1-1 on a bad quality pitch in the first leg in Russia, reports Xinhua news agency.
However, the English Premier League (EPL) side had no reason to feel happy about their success, as midfielder Pogba was replaced by Marouane Fellaini due to an apparent hamstring injury early in the second half.
The only goal came from Juan Mata, who benefited from Zlatan Ibrahimovic's back-heel pass inside the box on 70 minutes.
Man United have focused on the tournament, as the titleholder will book an automatic spot in next season's Champions League. Now ranked sixth in the EPL, they might find that the second-tier European tournament is an easier path to complete that mission, as only the top four in the league can secure Champions League qualification.
United head coach Jose Mourinho expected Pogba to be sidelined around three weeks, forcing him to withdraw from the clash with Middlesbrough in the EPL, in addition to his French national duties.
(This story has not been edited by Social News XYZ staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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