Manchester United have been handed a boost ahead of their crunch Champions League contest with Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich on Tuesday night.
The Evening Standard reports that Germany international Serge Gnabry will miss the box office encounter at Old Trafford after picking up a knock in Bayern’s most recent outing.
The ex-Arsenal man picked up a thigh problem just five minutes after being introduced in the second half of Bayern’s dreadful 5-1 defeat at Eintracht Frankfurt.
Gnabry’s injury is a blow for Thomas Tuchel’s side, but his absence is unlikely to make any significant dent in their plans, considering he has only started six of his 11 appearances this term.
Bayern travel to Manchester having already secured a slot in the Champions League last-16, but they still have an ongoing unbeaten group phase streak to preserve.
While the final fixture is inconsequential to Die Rekormeister, United welcome Tuchel’s side to the Theatre of Dreams needing maximum points to bolster their chances of going through.
The Red Devils have endured an appalling campaign, picking up just four points from five games, leaving their Champions League ambitions in jeopardy.
Bayern are undefeated in their last 39 group-stage games, but the onus is on United to pull off the unthinkable and hope the clash between FC Copenhagen and Galatasaray ends in a stalemate.
While Bayern are grappling with injury problems to Gnabry, United have no shortage of injury concerns of their own, with Lisandro Martinez, Christian Eriksen, Victor Lindelof and Tyrell Malacia all still sidelined.
Casemiro, Mason Mount, and Amad Diallo returned to full first-team training on Sunday, but the Tuesday fixture will come too soon.
United captain Bruno Fernandes will wear the armband in midweek but will miss the game against Liverpool after picking up a fifth yellow card in the defeat to Bournemouth.
