Christian Eriksen has been ruled out until late April or early May after suffering an ankle injury in Manchester United's FA Cup win over Reading on Saturday.
The 30-year-old was forced off in the 57th minute at Old Trafford following a poor challenge from Andy Carroll. Eriksen left the stadium on crutches as fears developed over the severity of the issue.
After being assessed by United’s medical staff, it has been confirmed Eriksen will be out for "an extended period", with the club suggesting it could be early May before the Denmark international returns to action. Eriksen has played in all but one of United's Premier League matches this season, featuring 31 times across all competitions.
A statement from United read: "Christian Eriksen is expected to be out of action for an extended period because of an ankle injury sustained in our FA Cup victory over Reading on Saturday. Our Danish midfielder was withdrawn in the second half of the 3-1 win after being caught by a tackle from Reading striker Andy Carroll.
"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. We all wish Christian the best of luck for a speedy recovery!"
Where will Manchester United finish in the Premier League this season? Have your say in the comments...
This is a major blow for Ten Hag given Eriksen's impressive start to the season and his importance to the United side. He has often been preferred to Fred and Scott McTominay in midfield alongside Casemiro, who scored a double and was the star of the show against Reading at the weekend.
Fred also netted as United breezed into the fifth round of the FA Cup to book a meeting with West Ham. But Eriksen will not be available for that game and any of the Red Devils' matches in the near future, including the EFL Cup semi-final second leg against Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford on Wednesday.
Speaking after the incident on Saturday, Ten Hag said of Eriksen: "It’s always difficult to say in this moment so short after the game has finished, but it’s an ankle [injury]. We have to see what is the diagnosis, so it costs us a minimum of 24 hours before we know that and then I can say more."
United may be tempted to dip into the transfer market to sign a new midfielder before the transfer window slams shut, with Leicester star Youri Tielemans amongst those linked with a move.
