Manchester United

Daley Blind: 'Manchester United can cope without Zlatan Ibrahimovic'

By Matt Law, Football Editor | 10 March 2017

Blind: 'United can cope without Ibrahimovic'

Manchester United left-back Daley Blind insists that the 20-time English champions can cope without Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who is now serving a three-game domestic ban.

Manchester United left-back Daley Blind has insisted that the 20-time English champions have the squad to cope with the impending absence of Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Ibrahimovic has scored 26 times in all competitions for Man United this season, but the Swede will be suspended for the club's next three domestic matches after accepting a violent conduct charge.

The 35-year-old will therefore miss Monday's FA Cup quarter-final away to Chelsea, in addition to Premier League matches against Middlesbrough and West Bromwich Albion.

Blind has refused to play down the importance of Ibrahimovic to the Man United squad, but the Dutchman insists that his team can cope without the veteran Swede.

"Zlatan is of course a very important player for us," Blind told BT Sport. "Other players have to stand up, that's how it is.

"I think you make players better as well if there's more competition in the group. So if there's rotation at this level it only makes the team stronger and stronger. I think that's why we can cope with every game."

Ibrahimovic's ban was handed out after he was adjudged to have deliberately elbowed Bournemouth's Tyrone Mings during the Premier League clash at Old Trafford last weekend.