Cleverley injury rocks Man Utd despite win

Tom Cleverley returned for Manchester United away to Everton on Saturday’s early kick off in the Barclays Premier League and the United midfield showed a sparkle that has been missing since his injury. 

With Danny Wellbeck playing out on the left and Javier Hernandez and Wayne Rooney in attack, there was a Barcelona-esque touch to the passing.

The only goal for United in the match, enough for them to win it, showed why Cleverley is the key man for the Red Devils. 

His deft through pass completely caught Everton on the wrong foot, allowing Patrice Evra to go in free on the left and cut the ball across the goal for Hernandez to tap in. 

The creativity that United have been lacking in the final third was now there. 

Ji-Sung Park had earlier missed a sitter, but as the half wore on, Everton found their game and Leighton Banes struck a delightful free-kick that found the crossbar. 

United went in relatively assured in the lead at half-time. 

Then it all went downhill. 

Cleverly went of injured – worryingly without any contact. 

The spark went with him and the Darren Fletcher-Johny Evans horror show began. 

Amazingly Sir Alex Ferguson stuck with Evans after his nightmare against Manchester City last week. And he almost came unstuck again. 

Giving away the ball easily deep in his own half for Everton’s Jack Rodwell to unleash a shot on target which David De Gea seemed to have saved with his face. 

United brought on Nani, Berbatov and Valencia, but it was in the heart of midfield that the hole lay and could not be filled. 

Tasked with now marshaling the middle of the park, Fletcher succumbed to the pressure, giving away the ball with errant passes and sitting too deep. 

The Everton attacks came in droves, but eventually United held out. 

Only just though.

They need Cleverley back for sure.