Gary O’Driscoll, the head of sports medicine at Manchester United, along with senior first-team doctor Jim Moxon, has reportedly decided to depart from the club.
Currently, Manchester United is facing a significant injury crisis, with ten senior players unavailable due to various ailments.
Lisandro Martínez has been ruled out for the entire season following an ACL injury sustained last month, while Amad Diallo is also a considerable doubt for the remainder of the term as he recovers from an ankle injury.
Other senior players unavailable for selection by coach Ruben Amorim include Altay Bayindir, Jonny Evans, Leny Yoro, Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, Mason Mount, Kobbie Mainoo, and Manuel Ugarte.
To address the squad’s needs, Amorim has had to incorporate academy players into his matchday rosters. Chido Obi made his senior debut during the loss to Tottenham Hotspur, while Ayden Heaven appeared in the Premier League for the first time on Sunday in a 1-1 draw against Arsenal.
According to the Daily Mail, O’Driscoll believes “now is the right time to step down” from his role at United, having made several positive contributions to the medical department and established a foundation for future enhancements.
O’Driscoll’s departure is reportedly a “huge surprise,” given that he joined the club less than two years ago from Arsenal, and he is well-respected in the field of sports medicine with extensive experience.
Meanwhile, Moxon has left the club to explore other opportunities.
The Mail reports that “club sources indicate that the simultaneous departures are coincidental and not related to the recent announcement of up to 200 redundancies.”
Furthermore, the exits of O’Driscoll and Moxon are not linked to the fact that the United squad experienced over 60 instances of injury and illness last season, nor to the current situation where head coach Ruben Amorim is without ten players and has struggled to fill the bench in recent matches.
The two medical experts will remain at United during a transitional period as the Red Devils go about identifying replacements for them.
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