With the odds already stacked up against Manchester United, manager Louis Van Gaal revealed his side could face the prospect of traveling to Chelsea without FIVE first-team players.
The Dutch tactician announced this injury crisis bombshell in a press-conference ahead of Saturday's mouth-watering fixture. With Jonny Evans out with suspension. Van Gaal confessed that Michael Carrick, Marcos Rojo, Daley Blind, and Phil Jones are all in danger of missing the trip to Stamford Bridge.
Carrick and Rojo, suffering of a calf injury and an adductor muscle problem respectively, have already been ruled out, but Blind and Jones, both with a knock to the ankle, face a race against time to regain fitness before the weekend clash.
This hands the Red Devils boss a selection headache in midfield, but the former Bayern Munich coach admits he might deploy club captain Wayne Rooney in midfield in an attempt to solve this crisis.
Speaking to the media, Van Gaal said: "We have four players injured from the last match, so that is not so good.
"I hope that we can recover two of them (Blind and Jones) but Carrick and Rojo are out.
"That's the worst scenario, because Rojo and Jones can both play on the left side of central defence. Evans is also suspended, so I have a puzzle for tomorrow.
"Blind and Carrick can play the holding midfield position, so I don't have any option there.
"So maybe I will have to play Rooney there. Other players can profit from the situation now."
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