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Manchester United target Michael Olise has suffered “another serious injury” after being forced off the field for Crystal Palace after just 11 minutes in the loss to Brighton.
It’s a warning sign Old Trafford officials should heed when contemplating a move for the talented Frenchman this summer.
The 21-year-old winger has already missed three months of action at the start of this season, after sustaining a hamstring injury in pre-season. He missed thirteen Premier League games in this time.
Olise returned at the beginning of November, immediately re-establishing himself as one Palace’s key players with a run of excellent form in the league.
He produced 6 goals and 3 assists across 10 games over the winter period. Within these appearances, Olise played only 655 minutes, meaning his return rate was one contribution every 73 minutes – amongst the best in the Premier League.
The 21-year-old’s most impressive performance amid this rich form came in the game prior to Brighton.
Olise started against Sheffield United and produced a dazzling display on the right-wing at Selhurst Park. Alongside the equally impressive Eberechi Eze, the pair combined to overwhelm the Blades’ defence, helping Palace come from a goal down twice to eventually run out 3-2 winners. Eze scored twice while Olise got one himself, as well as two assists.
Eze’s first came courtesy of a lovely cross by his French team mate to make it 1-1 after Ben Brereton Díaz had opened proceedings.
Sheffield United then regained the lead via a lucky deflection, before Olise squared the ball to Eze, allowing the attacking midfielder to launch a vicious strike to draw level again.
The pick of the bunch then came from a long-distance effort to win the game by Olise himself. The Frenchman jumped on an errant clearance at the edge of the Sheffield United box and curled the ball into the bottom corner with aplomb.
This from Michael Olise was just 😮#CPFC | #CRYSHU pic.twitter.com/GbydPkzAOd
— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) January 31, 2024
It’s the type of strike Olise has become famed for in the infancy of his Premier League career. United fans will remember last season’s outrageous Beckham-esque free-kick to snatch a point at Selhurst Park in the 90th minute all too well.
WOW! Michael Olise has just ROBBED Man Utd of all three points with an unreal free-kick! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/lGysJsPi1L
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) January 18, 2023
There appears little doubt about the Frenchman’s talent.
He is an excellent prospect who combines elegance and skill with productivity and hard-work. He’s also adapted to the rigours of the Premier League, having developed through the English football pyramid.
There would be no fears of the 21-year-old being unable to cope physically in the way United’s previous two investments on the right-wing – Jadon Sancho and Antony – have.
As such, the new executive branch at Old Trafford – the INEOS sports team – are reported to have designated Olise as a primary targets within their planned overhaul of the United squad this summer.
The winger is believed to have a release clause in his new deal, signed in August, worth upwards of £60 million; a costly fee but one well within the expected United budget in the coming window. It’s even been reported that the club may seek to use Aaron Wan-Bissaka – formerly of Crystal Palace himself – as a potential makeweight in a pursuit of Olise.
These plans would be a mistake, however.
The Frenchman’s issues with injuries are simply too grave a concern to sanction a move for him, despite his talents. This is then exacerbated by the fact he is suffering persistent problems with the same area specifically.
His latest injury – described by Roy Hodgson as “absolutely devastating” – is yet another “serious” hamstring problem , expected to rule him out for much of the remainder of the year.
Even within Olise’s rich vein of from over the winter, the winger was actually rested for three games in January, owing to concerns over his hamstring. He missed the FA Cup third round tie against Everton (and the subsequent replay), as well as the trip to the Emirates to play Arsenal.
While these were precautionary measures, it speaks to Olise’s fragility that in only his second game back after this break, he severely injures his hamstring again.
Questions must be asked of Hodgson, and the Palace medical staff, over the decision to bring the winger on against Brighton, only for him to leave the pitch in agony 11 minutes later, but it’s an unfortunate motif in Olise’s fledgling career which must give his prospective suitors pause for thought.
United have invested well over £150 million on two right-wingers in the last three years. One is currently on loan to Borussia Dortmund after publicly falling out with Erik ten Hag, and the other is barely good enough to make the United bench at the moment, let alone pushing to be in the starting eleven.
The club cannot afford to miss on another expensive winger who is unable to translate their talents on the pitch. Though Olise appears to possess the requisite quality and physicality to succeed at Old Trafford, his hamstring concerns may lead to United being hamstrung themselves with another costly mistake on the right-hand side.
It’s not a risk worth taking, despite the Frenchman’s enormous upside.
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