The Clash: Smalling a Doubt For United After Head Injury

Last night was a bad, bad night for the English National Team. After a heroic comeback against Holland, Arjen Robben broke English hearts with a stoppage time winner. Gerrard went off injured with a hamstring, alarming the whole country and turning Merseyside into a panic. But the worst moment of the night involved Manchester United defender Chris Smalling, who sickeningly collided heads with Dutch striker Klaas Jan Huntelaar on his goal. The injury left both players dazed, as Smalling was taken to the hospital, according to reports.

The injury comes on the back of Wayne Rooney and Tom Cleverly pulling out of the England squad. Rooney looks likely to feature on Sunday against Tottenham Hotspur after recovering from a throat infection. Cleverly looks a more serious doubt, as a re-occurrence of his ankle injury has the midfielder struggling for fitness.

Smalling had been looked to come into the United side at right back to help deal with the threat of Gareth Bale. But the situation for United is not too dire, as last week's starting defense of Jones, Ferdinand, Evans, and Evra are all fit. However, any more fitness problems for that quartet would mean a return of out of favor twins Fabio and Rafael to the line-up.