Manchester United have announced that midfielder Christian Eriksen faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines with an ankle injury.
The Danish international, who has been excellent since joining the Reds on a free transfer last summer, was forced off during the second half of Saturday's 3-1 FA Cup win over Reading at Old Trafford after being on the receiving end of a robust tackle from Andy Carroll. He was later seen leaving the stadium on crutches.
The Reds have since confirmed that his injury is a serious one, meaning he could be sidelined up until early-May. The Dane has been a virtually ever-present figure this season, playing in 31 of United's 32 matches this season.
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A statement released by the club on Tuesday lunchtime 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."
Considering United are already without Donny van de Beek for the rest of the campaign through injury and Scott McTominay missed the win over Reading with a minor problem, manager Erik ten Hag is light on midfield options. The January transfer window closes at 11pm this evening and the club are not expected to add to their ranks before the bell.
It means Fred is the most logical replacement for Eriksen in United's strongest midfield-three, joining Bruno Fernandes and fellow Brazilian Casemiro. United's midfield has been transformed this season and Eriksen has played a key part in that improvement, bringing class and excellent ball-playing qualities to the side.
Understandably, United's supporters are devastated by the news that the former Brentford man faces an extensive period on the sidelines. Below, MEN Sport has taken a close look to see what they have had to say:
As you can see from the messages displayed in the tweets above, United's supporters are gutted about the loss of Eriksen for such a lengthy period and believe the club must act fast before the window closes to source a replacement. United, though, do not plan to bring in another midfielder before the deadline.
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