Manchester United have been rocked by the news that midfielder Christian Eriksen will be sidelined for several months with an ankle injury.
The Denmark international, who joined the club on a free transfer during the summer, is set to be out until at least the end of April. He was forced off during the second half of Saturday's 3-1 FA Cup fourth round win over Reading on Saturday evening after being on the receiving end of a robust challenge from Andy Carroll.
Eriksen was spotted limping out of Old Trafford on crutches and it has since been confirmed by the club that he will almost all of the remainder of the campaign.
READ MORE: Erik ten Hag suggests who will replace Christian Eriksen
A statement issued by United said: "While investigations are continuing, initial assessments indicate that Eriksen is likely to be out until late April or early May. Eriksen's absence will be a big disappointment to manager Erik ten Hag and fans given the consistency of his performances throughout the season so far.
"However, there is hope that Christian can return in time to play a role in the final stages of the season."
At the time of writing, United are working on a deal to bring Bayern Munich midfielder Marcel Sabitzer to the club on loan. However, the clock is ticking, meaning there is not much time to try and get everything finalised.
In the event of United not being able to add to their squad before the window closes, Fred is the most likely option to cover for the Dane. But who else, if Ten Hag is forced to stretch his squad to the limit, could slot into Eriksen's position?
Lisandro Martinez
Some United fans, even if only as a one-off, have been calling for Ten Hag to try out Martinez in midfield. The Argentine has operated in a defensive-midfield berth in the past during his career and admitted that he would be happy to play there again.
However, Martinez, of course, is a centre-back by trade, meaning he would add a defensive presence to United's midfield, as opposed to an offensive one. He is, however, very good on the ball and his passing ability would make him an option, even if it would change the Reds' dynamic.
Victor Lindelof
Lindelof is another centre-back that could move up into midfield if needed to, but, again, it would change the dynamic of the team. The Swede started out as a central-midfielder before finding comfort as a centre-back.
Some United fans, at the start of the 2021/22 campaign, were demanding former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to experiment with a positional change and move him into a defensive-midfield berth. United, though, have since discovered a world-class defensive-midfielder in Casemiro, meaning moving Lindelof into midfield to replace Eriksen would completely change their approach and make them defensive-minded.
Axel Tuanzebe
Another centre-back with experience of playing in central-midfield is Tuanzebe. The United academy graduate, who will be expected to leave the club at the end of the season, has played in the position on a handful of occasions in his career.
Again though, it would change United's style of play because of his defensive characteristics. As well as that, he has not played a single minute all season, meaning it represents a huge and unlikely gamble.
Zidane Iqbal
Eriksen's injury has meant that Iqbal's hopes of going out on loan before the window closes are as good as over. The Manchester Evening News reported earlier this month that the 19-year-old was keen on leaving Old Trafford before the bell to secure regular first-team football.
He has not played a single minute worth of first-team football for United this season, despite impressing on the pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia, as well as in Spain during the World Cup break. Though he is yet to find his lane, in terms of what kind of midfielder he is, he has the ability to play a box-to-box-type role.
Kobbie Mainoo
Mainoo has leapfrogged Iqbal in the pecking order in recent weeks, confirmed by the fact he got the nod to start the 3-0 Carabao Cup quarter-final win over Charlton Athletic earlier this month. He has since made another appearance for the Reds, stepping off the bench against Reading.
While there is no doubt that Mainoo is a star in the making and Ten Hag has high hopes for him, it is important to remember he is only 17. There is a big difference between facing a League One side at home and being a regular starter in the Premier League. As good as an experience it would be for him, it would strike as being a gamble.
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