Man Utd’s Alejandro Garnacho exposes his true colours with Kyle Walker-Peters message
Alejandro Garnacho demonstrated his sportsmanship by giving a heartfelt response to Kyle Walker-Peters after the Southampton full-back unintentionally hurt the Manchester United winger during the 0-0 Premier League game at Old Trafford on Sunday.
The Argentine player came on as a substitute in the second half, but he had to be taken out of the match in injury time due to the strong tackle from the former Tottenham defender.
Recent reports suggest that the injury is more severe than initially anticipated, which could result in the teenager being absent from the Manchester United squad for an extended period of time before the season ends.
Kyle Walker-Peters’ rough tackle left many United fans dissatisfied, but Alejandro Garnacho acted professionally by accepting the Southampton player’s apology on Instagram.
Walker-Peters wrote: “Proud of a hard earned point in a tough game at Old Trafford. Especially since we feel we could have had a bit more. It was a big effort from everyone.
“Thank you to the travelling supporters especially who made the journey to help push us on.
“On a personal level, the racial abuse I received is something that no player or person should ever have to experience.
“We need to be better, and this is bigger than just football. More needs to be done to prevent this from happening time and time again.
“Thank you to everyone who has sent messages of support since, I appreciate each and every one of you.
“Finally, to [Garnacho] it would never be my intention to injure a fellow professional. I wish you a speedy recovery and hope to see you back in action as soon as possible.”
To which Garnacho replied: “More than football. Thank you very much for the message brother, this is part of football.”
Erik ten Hag suggested that it was premature to assess the severity of the problem, but he expressed optimism that it might be an impact injury rather than a more severe issue.
“He was a little bit limping after the bad tackle,” the Dutchman said.
“In the end they brought on another striker, a big and tall one [Paul Onuachu] and I don’t want to go for risk, we were already downsized to 10 [men].
“I didn’t want to go with players who were [just] 90 per cent. That’s why I called him off but I think it is not too bad.”
Despite being subjected to a harsh challenge, Garnacho managed to keep his composure and exhibit his true professionalism, which is commendable considering the criticism he has faced for his attitude in the past.
His contribution will be crucial for Manchester United, especially with their involvement in the Europa League and FA Cup, both competitions where the 18-year-old has played extensively this season.
In addition, the team will also have to cope with the absence of Casemiro due to suspension, as he received a red card during the recent draw, which means he will miss four matches.
Man Utd’s Alejandro Garnacho exposes his true colours with Kyle Walker-Peters message
