Mourinho and Ling both breathed a long sigh of relief.
This kind of issue is common among football players, especially in colder weather, where continuous sprinting can easily lead to untimely control of muscle contractions.
Coupled with the intense Christmas fixture schedule recently, it's the peak period for muscle strains, and every club has faced similar situations.
Soon, Ling was taken to the hospital by the staff. Before the examination, he glanced at his phone.
Manchester United 2-1 West Bromwich Albion.
Fortunately, they won today's match.
Otherwise, they would have fallen behind Manchester City, and even a win on December 31st wouldn't have been enough to claim the top spot.
...
An hour later.
"Hamstring strains are generally classified into four grades, ranging from the mildest Grade 1 fiber damage to the most severe Grade 4 complete tear."
"Your condition isn't serious. It doesn't even reach the most basic Grade 1. You only need simple anti-inflammatory treatment and then gradually resume strength training."
"You should recover in about one to two weeks."
"..."
Upon hearing this, the Manchester United players broke into smiles.
As professional athletes, they deeply understand the severity of injuries, so they were overjoyed to hear that Ling's condition wasn't serious.
"You won't be able to play in the next few matches. Who's going to pass the ball to me now?" Lukaku joked.
"Haven't I given you enough assists?" Mata retorted playfully.
The atmosphere in the room instantly lightened.
Ibrahimović patted Ling firmly on the shoulder, "Don't worry about it at all. Look at me—I've had such serious injuries and still came back fine, even performing better than before."
"Although you're not as strong as I am, I'm sure you'll be just fine!"
"Zlatan, if you're a lion, then I must be a tiger."
Ling flexed his noticeably larger biceps compared to before.
"Hahahahaha!"
The Manchester United players burst into laughter.
....
Late at night.
The Chinese fans finally received the official announcement from Manchester United.
Only after confirming that Ling's injury wasn't serious did they breathe a sigh of relief.
After all, he was their only hope in the Premier League!
And his recent performances have been getting better and better, even approaching the top three in the scoring charts at one point.
So they all left messages on social media wishing him well.
[Get well soon, Little Ling! Try to make it back for the Man City match!]
[Logically speaking, someone as young as Ling shouldn't be getting injured, right?]
[It has nothing to do with age. The human body has its limits, and Ling has been playing a lot recently.]
[Take this chance to rest up and get back to your best form.]
[Hope Man United doesn't slip up during this time.]
[They should be fine. Man United still has Martial, and with his ability, he should handle weaker teams, right?]
[Hard to say. I heard he's already in talks with other clubs.]
[That's exactly why he should play even harder to leave a good impression on his new team.]
...
The next day.
After hanging up the phone with his parents, Ling was about to head out for training when he suddenly sat back down.
Now that he had free time, he wasn't quite used to it.
So he simply opened his laptop and started analyzing Man City's match footage.
Their most frequently used formation recently was the 4-3-3.
This formation has a fatal flaw: once the team spreads out, it's hard to compact the shape, and they struggle with manpower against quick counterattacks.
But Guardiola took the concept of total football to the extreme, solving these two issues with the "7-second rule" and the "inverted full-back" theory.
Their record of 15 consecutive league wins is the best proof.
And parking the bus against Man City is useless because their overall strength is too high.
Not only do they have fluid passing and movement, but they also have the tools to break down tight defenses.
Sterling.
Don't be fooled by his nickname "The Happy King," often missing shots from half a meter out—that's just the surface.
His agile physique allows him to make incredible dribbles, escapes, and sudden stops, tearing apart opposing defenses, creating space for the team, and setting up chances for his teammates.
Man United's defenders are mostly tall and physical, which puts them at a disadvantage against Sterling.
Ling fast-forwarded the video, focusing his attention on Kyle Walker.
'Fast!'
'No wonder he's the man who can contain Mbappe.'
He's also adept at using physicality and his arms to squeeze the space of the ball carrier, setting the stage for a tackle.
So he couldn't rely on explosive speed to burst past him.
...
December 21st.
Man United 1-2 Bristol City, they were knocked out in the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup.
Although Man United fans were disappointed, they understood that the club's focus was entirely on the Champions League and the league, with no energy to compete on three fronts.
Moreover, the injury to their star winger Ling had weakened Man United's attacking intensity and counterattack efficiency.
Martial started this match, but perhaps due to lack of playing time, he performed poorly and showed little defensive effort.
Mourinho subbed him off before halftime.
...
December 24th, Man United away to Leicester City.
The second meeting between the two teams was uneventful, with Man United securing a narrow 1-0 victory in the 18th round of the Premier League.
However, in the 19th round two days later, Man United hosted Burnley and were dealt an early blow.
In the third minute, Burnley scored from a cross and a header.
The Manchester United fans in the stands were utterly bewildered.
Before they could even process what was happening, their team was already trailing.
It was worth noting that their unbeaten home record almost getting closed to Juventus.
Surely they wouldn't collapse here?
But their nightmare was far from over.
In the 36th minute of the match, De Vrij unleashed a powerful shot from outside the penalty area and scored again.
0-2!
The Burnley fans in the away section erupted in cheers.
Everyone knew Manchester United's attacking prowess was lacking, so victory seemed all but secured for the visitors.
On the sidelines, Mourinho grew visibly anxious, continuously barking instructions to his players.
But it seemed to have little effect.
By the time the first half ended, the score remained unchanged.
...
Meanwhile, at the training base, Ling, who was undergoing recovery training, paused and stared nervously at the television.
He refused to believe his teammates had lost their fighting spirit.
As the second half began, there appeared to be a shift in the mentality of the Manchester United players.
In the 48th minute, Mata delivered a cross from the flank, but the ball was cleared by a defender.
Outside the box, Ibrahimović controlled the ball effortlessly, dribbled past one opponent, created space with a feigned shot, and then unleashed a thunderous long-range strike that blasted into Burnley's net.
In the crucial moment, the "Great Lion" had stepped up.
He raised his arms triumphantly toward the stands, proclaiming that he was still the god of Old Trafford.
Absolutely domineering!
That goal reignited the fighting spirit of the Manchester United players.
Seizing the momentum, they pushed forward relentlessly, constantly threatening the opponent's penalty area.
In the 53rd minute, Ashley Young cut inside from the byline and delivered a low cross into the box.
Ibrahimović pounced on it and slotted the ball into the net.
Whoosh!!!
In less than ten minutes, Manchester United had pulled two goals back.
The fans roared with excitement, their cheers threatening to lift the stadium roof.
This was the Red Devil spirit!
Although Ibrahimović was soon substituted, Manchester United's momentum was unstoppable.
In the 87th minute, Matic's long-range shot was saved by the goalkeeper, but Lingard followed up and tapped in the rebound.
A last-gasp winner!
"Beautiful!"
Ling waved his fist excitedly at the television.
After half a season of trials, he had been completely transformed—and so had Manchester United.
Feeling his nearly recovered body, he looked forward with anticipation to the match against Manchester City in four days.