‘We need the fans, now more than ever’

Ever since sustaining multiple facial fractures while representing Argentina against Germany, Martin Demichelis has played in a protective mask. “It has advantages and disadvantages,” Micho reported on Wednesday. “I’m obviously not accustomed to playing in it,” he acknowledged, although in terms of comfort and ease of use the mask is “perfect, super.” The major downside is a restriction on the defender’s field of vision.

In order to see both team-mates and opponents on the periphery, the 29-year-old reported, he currently has to turn his head. Wayne Rooney’s first-minute opener for Manchester United in the Champions League quarter-final first leg partly came about as a result of that. “I had to twist in order to see where he was, and that caused me to slip. Unlucky really.”