United star could miss Arsenal clash after hamstring injury

Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes could be facing more than a month out of action with a muscle injury, putting his availability against Arsenal in doubt.

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Bruno Fernandes suffered a rare injury during Manchester United’s defeat to Aston Villa over the weekend, and John Percy of The Telegraph reports that the player could be missing for at least a month after sustaining a suspected soft-tissue injury.

“I think it’s a soft-tissue injury so it’s going to be a while,” Amorim said after the game. “He is a guy who is always fit so we hope he can recover well. We will see.

“It’s an injury and sometimes it’s bad luck or something else at the same time. You can never control these things.”

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The exact timeline on Fernandes’ absence could be significant to Arsenal, who host Manchester United in a month and two days, on January 25th.

A grade 2 hamstring strain usually requires four-to-six weeks out of action, so if that’s the diagnosis then it would certainly put his participation at the Emirates Stadium in doubt.

Fernandes was spotted holding his hamstring before his substitution, and a grade 1 strain likely wouldn’t require a month on the sidelines, so the reporting so far indicates a grade 2 strain.

Though that does also mean Fernandes is even more likely to miss United’s match against Manchester City on January 17th. So it’s possible both title rivals will see Fernandes missing their game.

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In other news, Liverpool and Arne Slot have provided official confirmation that Alexander Isak won’t be available against Arsenal in January, as he’s set for a couple of months on the sidelines following surgery on his leg.

Isak suffered the injury whilst scoring in Liverpool’s win over Tottenham Hotspur, with Micky van de Ven crashing into him after the ball was gone.

Arsenal face Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium on January 8th, with no chance of an Isak return before then. Cody Gakpo could potentially be available, whilst Mohamed Salah is increasingly likely to miss out after Egypt’s opening-game AFCON win.