Bailly Ready To Take Out His Frustrations

Defender Eric Bailly is hoping to take his World Cup frustration out on Manchester United's Premier League opponents in the coming weeks.

The centre-back was forced to sit out Ivory Coast's crunch qualifier with Morocco due to suspension, and a costly defeat ensured he will not be representing his country in Russia next summer.

However, he is aiming to channel all of his energy into the hectic winter campaign with United, starting in Saturday's Premier League test against Newcastle United.

"It’s a huge disappointment for me," Bailly told MUTV. "Even more so when you think we had been top of the table early on in the qualifiers.

"Being beaten at home at the end is frustrating, even more so for me, as I was suffering while having to watch the last game from the stands. So it was tough to take for me and for all the supporters of the national team, plus my friends and family, it was really disappointing."

The 23-year-old is aiming to overcome the setback by helping the Reds successfully navigate a tough spell of games.

"You always have to turn the page and move on because you can’t always think that life is just full of good moments," he added. "There are also difficult times that you have to face up to come out stronger. You have to forget about it and think about the future."

United currently trail leaders Manchester City by eight points with Tottenham and Chelsea hot on our heels. The relentless run of fixtures will clearly be crucial to any title challenge.

"Of course, it’s very important for me," said Bailly. "What’s also important is being able to steer clear of injury, because I really love going into those periods when there are loads of games. It makes you feel like you are really in the thick of the English game and emotions run high at these times.

"So, I hope things go well and we can pick up as many points as possible before we get to the end of December."