Manchester United and England captain Wayne Rooney could be out for as long as two months with a knee ligament injury, Goal understands.
The forward was left out of United’s squad for their Europa League clash with Midtjylland on Thursday evening, with club physios having had it confirmed on Wednesday morning that the captain has sustained damage.
Rooney is expected to be sidelined for between four and eight weeks at a crucial time of United’s season and with the Euro 2016 finals also on the horizon.
The 30-year-old lasted the full 90 minutes of Saturday’s defeat to Sunderland and is thought to have picked up the problem in training in the days since the trip to Wearside.
It is not the first time Rooney has picked up an injury so close to a major international tournament, and he will miss friendlies against Germany and Netherlands in March as a result of his latest setback.
He will also be sidelined for the FA Cup tie against Shrewsbury, the upcoming Premier League clash against Arsenal and is unlikely to be back in time for the Manchester derby on March 20.
Manager Louis van Gaal is expected to confirm the extent of Rooney’s injury during a pre-match Europa League press conference in Denmark later on Wednesday.
Despite largely being criticised for his performances this season as United have struggled for form, the skipper had hit a purple patch in recent weeks, scoring five times and assisting a further three goals in his last eight league outings.
