The tsunami of sorry news continues to unrelentingly pelt Manchester United fans.
A single point from their last two games – a humbling by Manchester City and a bore draw at home with Crystal Palace – certifiably makes this campaign under Jose Mourinho the worst start to a Premier League season.
But there was a further smack to the gullet in the final section of the drab point-sharer with the Eagles with Victor Lindelof visibly in discomfort on the pitch.
Heroically battling on due to all three substitutes being used, Mourinho later confirmed in his press conference ahead of United’s final Champions League group home game against Young Boys that “He will be out for quite a while” (SkySports). It is a massive blow as the side wade into the congested festive season.
From now until January 2nd, Manchester United have to compete in nine matches – including an ominous trip to Liverpool in mid-December, of which most Red Devils would have liked to have seen Lindelof appear.
“He will have a scan tomorrow but by the experience of the medical department, and the feeling of the player, he has a muscular problem. A muscular problem takes time.”
Forget the praise for the resurgent Luke Shaw and the dynamic Anthony Martial; few could argue against that in the past several months – for a player only several could have half-heartedly waved farewell to in the summer – the Swede has truly stepped into the role of being a United player, and in a threadbare back-line his absence will be a gargantuan miss.
So who can step into Lindelof’s shoes over the festive period? Well, this list doesn’t make pleasant reading.
Marcos Rojo hasn’t featured at all since the final game of last season with Mourinho stating that he is suffering from ‘some little injury’.
Since being humiliatingly substituted after just 19 minutes against Newcastle at the beginning of last month, Eric Bailly has been out of in the cold longer than Captain Oates and seems almost a certainty to leave the club in the near future. Will the Ivorian be given a last chance at redemption in Lindelof’s absence?
Even the Spanish midfielder Ander Herrera has been deployed as a makeshift centre-back by Mou in recent times, being horrifically exposed against Tottenham at Old Trafford.
Most likely to the hilarity of rival fans, out of the distance traipsing, slowly over the horizon like Omar Sharif in Lawrence of Arabia, are the two figures of Chris Smalling and Phil Jones.