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Robin van Persie injury: Manchester United manager hopes it is 'not too bad' after Champions League hat-trick showing

Striker lead United's three-goal comeback to progress to the Champions League last-eight

Thursday 20 March 2014 09:01 GMT

Hat-trick hero van Persie's night ended disappointingly as he exited the game on a stretcher (Getty Images)

David Moyes is confident that the knee injury suffered by Robin van Persie in Wednesday's epic comeback against Olympiakos is not serious.

Van Persie scored a stunning hat-trick to give Manchester United the 3-0 win they needed to progress to the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Some of the gloss was taken off the dramatic night, though, when Van Persie was carried off on a stretcher in the dying minutes of the match after a tackle by Giannis Maniatis.

United will scan the player using their newly-installed state-of-the-art machinery at the AON Training Complex on Thursday and Moyes is hopeful that he will receive good news.

"I don't think he is too bad," the United manager said of his star striker.

"He has got a knock just behind his knee. We will assess it and we will know more in the morning.

"He has got a knee in the back of his knee but hopefully it is not too bad."

Manchester United 3 Olympiakos 0 - Player Ratings

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1/11Manchester United 3 Olympiakos 0 - Player Ratings

Manchester United 3 Olympiakos 0 - Player Ratings

David de Gea 9

Made a number of key and quality saves throughout the game and was vital in seeing United through. A fantastic double save on the half hour mark was probably the pick the stops but made several others just as important. Good distribution and decision making in a commanding performance

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Manchester United 3 Olympiakos 0 - Player Ratings

Patrice Evra 7

Good all round shift from full-back in both a defensive and attacking sense. Drew a good save from the Olympiakos keeper from header following a corner and had another, more tame, effort soon after. Steady at the back and dealt well when the away side started to get on top late on. Booked for high boot on Nelson Valdez and will miss next game

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Manchester United 3 Olympiakos 0 - Player Ratings

Rio Ferdinand 7

Dealt well with everything in the air and looked very composed on the ball. Rode luck at times when Olympiakos gained the upper hand in the second half but continued to snuff out any attacks. Booked for bust up late on

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Manchester United 3 Olympiakos 0 - Player Ratings

Phil Jones 6

Played well but was a touch suspect against the trickery of Joel Campbell at times. Put in several brave headers in a whole hearted display though and was strong at the back when the pressure was put on in the second half

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Manchester United 3 Olympiakos 0 - Player Ratings

Rafael 7

Linked up well with Valencia down the wing and was a threat overlapping from full back. Was steady and watchful in defence and coped well with the pressure that Olympiakos put United under in the second half

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Manchester United 3 Olympiakos 0 - Player Ratings

Michael Carrick 7

Broke up everything that Olympiakos could muster for the first 70 minutes and was dogged and determined when the away side starting to get on top later in the game. Helped control the midfield alongside Giggs and showed great touch and composure. Booked for chopping down Hernán Pérez

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Manchester United 3 Olympiakos 0 - Player Ratings

Ryan Giggs 8

At 40 years and 110 days became the oldest outfield player to play in the Champions League knockout stages but rolled back the years in a superb display. Orchestrated things from midfield with a masterful passing display. Set up Rooney who hit the post and van Persie for the incident leading to the penalty and played a wonderful pass to release Rooney in the build up for the second goal

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Manchester United 3 Olympiakos 0 - Player Ratings

Antonio Valencia 7 (Young, 74)

Despite taking a heavy blow to the face early on and receiving a nasty looking shiner in doing so, continued to be a threat with his pace and power down the wing. Track back well all game and drew countless fouls with his trickery

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Manchester United 3 Olympiakos 0 - Player Ratings

Danny Welbeck 6 (Fletcher, 82)

Quieter going forward than his teammates but still a threat and never stopped running. Won the free kick for United’s third and vital goal but was not in the game as much as he would have liked in an attacking sense

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Manchester United 3 Olympiakos 0 - Player Ratings

Wayne Rooney 9

Worked tirelessly all over the pitch, making tackles, winning back possession and playing all manner of passes on a great night’s work. Hit the post with a good header and played a pin point cross for Van Persie’s second goal. Looked hungry throughout and lead from the front for United and was unlucky to not get on the score sheet himself

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Manchester United 3 Olympiakos 0 - Player Ratings

Robin Van Persie 9 (Fellaini, 90)

His fantastic free kick completely wrong footed Jiménez Gago in the Olympiakos goal to earn his first Champions League hat trick of his career. Won and scored the penalty to settle United nerves and get that all important first goal and finished neatly for his second. Held the ball up well and was a constant threat throughout the game. Vital performance of real class just when United needed him most

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Van Persie scored a penalty and then converted Wayne Rooney's cross before rounding off the win with a stunning free-kick in the second half.

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Moyes praised the former Arsenal striker's efforts afterwards.

"To score a hat-trick in Champions League football is a big thing," he said.

"I think there are only certain players in the world capable of it, and Robin Van Persie is one of them.

"He gets his penalty kick, he scored a great free-kick and Wayne did brilliantly well for him for the second goal.

"It is great that he got a hat-trick because he is a top player, he really is, and I think he showed that tonight."

Moyes had to face questions about his future for the first time on Tuesday following Sunday's hurtful loss to Liverpool.

But the Scot is sure he still retains the backing of the board and he now hopes to use the 3-2 aggregate win as a springboard for the rest of the season.

"I don't want to come out here and say this is the moment (we turned things around), but in the same breath, I really hope it is," Moyes said.

"But we know the job we have in hand and we know it is a work in progress and it is going to take time to get things exactly the way we want it."

Read more: Unconvincing victory fails to hide lack of quality
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Manchester United player ratings

Unless they win all their remaining nine games, starting with West Ham at Upton Park on Saturday, United will end the season with their lowest points total in the history of the Premier League.

PA

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