Manchester United have suffered another injury blow during the current international break.
Morocco defender Noussair Mazraoui came off injured in the 69th minute during the Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers game against Lesotho today.
He appeared to win the ball cleanly after attempting a tackle, but the challenge left him requiring immediate medical attention.
The Morocco international quickly signalled to the bench and was eventually forced off, raising fresh concerns over his fitness.
The 28-year-old has been operating at left-back for Morocco and had even found the net in their previous encounter with Gabon.
United head coach Michael Carrick will now be keeping a close eye on the latest developments, particularly after Patrick Dorgu suffered an injury.
The Denmark international was also taken off at the half-hour mark due to a potential hamstring injury.
Dorgu has since returned to Manchester to undergo further examinations as United await a clearer indication of the severity of his injury.
With Dorgu and Mazraoui both now facing fitness concerns, Carrick’s left-back options are suddenly looking extremely thin behind first-choice Luke Shaw.
The England international has a poor injury record and cannot be relied on to play twice every week.
Mazraoui had emerged as a useful alternative, particularly after gaining valuable experience at left-back for Morocco.
However, his latest injury could now leave Carrick scrambling for an emergency solution on the left side of his defence.
This issue should have been resolved in the summer, but INEOS overlooked the need to sign a new left-back.
With two potential options already facing injury concerns, Carrick will understandably be frustrated that the squad was not strengthened in an area that needed greater depth.
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