Manchester United might have returned to winning ways over the weekend, coming back from 2-0 down to beat Nottingham Forest on Saturday, but the Red Devils have been rocked with a huge blow ahead of their upcoming trip to Arsenal.
Erik ten Hag's side, who are already without a few key players due to injury, could be without star defender Raphael Varane when they lock horns with the North London giants.
The Frenchman, who was signed two years ago from Real Madrid, picked up an injury in the win over Forest and was forced to leave the pitch early in the second half. Fast forward to today and the prediction is that he will be out for a few weeks.
According to Sky Sports, the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner could miss up to six weeks. Not only would this rule him out for Sunday's clash with Mikel Arteta's side, but the former Real Madrid ace could also miss the games against Brighton in mid-September and the showdown with Brentford in early October.
| Raphaël Varane could potentially be out for up to SIX weeks due to suffering an injury against Nottingham Forest.
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) August 29, 2023
Harry Maguire's future could remain at Old Trafford due to the situation.
[via @SkyKaveh]. pic.twitter.com/6j9MthkzPI
This is a huge blow to Ten Hag's side as the Red Devils have already lost Mason Mount and Luke Shaw to injury. While a definite timeline was not publicly revealed, the aforementioned English left-back is expected to be sidelined for a significant period, with his employers entering the market for a quick solution.
As revealed by transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, the 20-time English champions have identified Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella as the ideal short-term replacement and have made a loan offer to the London heavyweights.
Understand Manchester United have reached an agreement in principle with Cucurella on personal terms. Green light arrived on player side. #MUFC
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 29, 2023
Man United won't negotiate for any other left back now — as they want to get Cucurella deal done with Chelsea ASAP. pic.twitter.com/ZNmvb3Sgou
The Spaniard has accepted Manchester United's offer but it remains to be seen whether these two English heavyweights can strike a deal that would take the former Brighton ace from Stamford Bridge to Old Trafford.