Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has confirmed that Harry Maguire is a major doubt for the forthcoming Premier League clash against Norwich City at Old Trafford.
The England international picked up a hip problem during the opening half of the FA Cup third round tie at Wolverhampton Wanderers but he was able to carry on and complete the entire game.
However, that came at a cost as he missed the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final against Manchester City where United were beaten 3-1, and it appears that he won’t be available for the weekend’s league meeting against Norwich.
In the press-conference following the Manchester derby, Solskjaer refused to provide a timescale for the centre-back’s return but seemed to confirm that 26-year-old won’t be available for the upcoming clash against the Canaries.
“We don’t know. It is not going to be a long term one. But I don’t think he will be ready for the weekend. Let’s see,” he was quoted as saying by the club’s official website.
Maguire and Victor Lindelof have been the go-to defenders for Solskjaer at the heart of the backline and there has barely been any rotation in that department with both players remaining fit for the first half of the season.
Solskjaer was quite aware that Maguire was struggling with an evident concern during the first-half at the Molineux and the decision to keep the defender on the field for the rest of the game was not the best choice.
In the absence of Maguire, Phil Jones is likely to accompany Lindelof in the central defence. Jones seemed to be limping in the second half against Manchester City but it appears that he only had cramp.
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