Huge blow for Man Utd with defender facing two months out after Brighton injury

Manchester United have been dealt yet another huge injury blow with Aaron Wan-Bissaka expected to miss as much as two months of the season with a hamstring injury.

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The 25-year-old was surprisingly absent from the starting XI for Saturday’s 3-1 defeat to Brighton, with manager Erik ten Hag revealing he had been suffering from illness in the week prior.

He was introduced late on in place of Lisandro Martinez, coming on in the 85th minute, and looked in a little discomfort after the full-time whistle.

Now The Athletic are reporting that Wan-Bissaka has suffered a serious hamstring injury and is expected to be sidelined for the next two months.

United offered a slightly more positive update soon after the reports emerged, saying: ‘Aaron Wan-Bissaka is set for a period on the sidelines after sustaining an injury during the closing stages of Saturday’s game against Brighton & Hove Albion.

‘The right-back came on as an 85th-minute substitute, having started the game on the bench after battling illness during the week.

‘Further assessment will be needed to determine how long Wan-Bissaka will be out for, but initial indications suggest it will be several weeks.’

The injury continues United’s astonishingly bad luck with player fitness so far this season and leaves them with Diogo Dalot as the only recognised right-back until the backend of the year.

Dalot had been expected to rotate with Sergio Reguilon at left-back, but the on-loan Spaniard will now be required to start every week given United’s dearth of options at the back.

Luke Shaw is not expected to return to action until November at the earliest while Tyrell Malacia has not featured at all this season – or in pre-season – due to a problem he picked up at the backend of the 2022-23 campaign.

United are also missing centre-back Raphael Varane while there are question marks over Lisandro Martinez’s fitness, with the Argentine struggling against Brighton after being forced off against Arsenal before the international break.

It is not only in defence where United are struggling for numbers, with midfielders Kobbie Mainoo, Mason Mount and deadline day arrival Sofyan Amrabat all out of action.

Amad Diallo is also nursing an injury while Jadon Sancho has been exiled from the first team and Antony is on a leave of absence following assault allegations.

Wan-Bissaka had started all four of United’s previous Premier League matches and was left out of the starting XI against Brighton partly as a precaution ahead of facing Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday night.

Ten Hag could now field a rather makeshift back four of Dalot, Victor Lindelof, Martinez and Reguilon for the trip to face the German champions, who now, of course, have Harry Kane leading their attack.

After their trip to the Allianz Arena, United then play Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday night before a league and Carabao Cup double header against Crystal Palace.

United host Galatasaray at the start of October in their second Champions League tie and then take on Brentford to round out the latest block of matches before the next international break, after which point many of their injured stars should start to return.

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