Harry Maguire sustained a muscle injury in Manchester United training (Picture: Getty)
Manchester United defender Harry Maguire is set to be sidelined for around three weeks after suffering a muscle injury in training.
The 31-year-old found himself frozen out of Erik ten Hag’s plans but has returned to the fore in the second half of this season and started United’s last six matches in all competitions, including the side’s weekend’s 1-1 draw with Burnley last weekend.
Ten Hag had been expected to name Maguire in his starting XI at Crystal Palace on Monday night, with the visitors looking to return to winnings ways in the Premier League. Victory at Selhurst Park would see the Red Devils leapfrog both Chelsea and Newcastle into sixth place.
But the England centre-half, Ten Hag’s captain until last summer, went down in a heap with a muscle problem at Carrington and is likely to miss United’s matches with Arsenal, Newcastle and Brighton, as well as tomorrow’s contest in south London.
United staff are hopeful that Maguire could make a return to action in time for their all-important FA Cup final clash with holders Manchester City on May 25.
Ten Hag’s squad has been ravaged by injury this term, with Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane, Victor Lindelof, Jonny Evans, Willy Kambwala, Luke Shaw, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Scott McTominay and Bruno Fernandes also struggling with various problems.
Against Burnley, Maguire started at the heart of defence in a makeshift centre-back pairing with Casemiro.
There are hopes the England defender could return for the FA Cup final (Picture: Getty)
On United’s injury woes this season, Ten Hag told Sky Sports: ‘We do research, but a lot also has to do with bad luck.
‘When you are in a season and the results are not going in a particular way you will also see you pick up more injuries than in a season when everything goes right.
‘But we are still there in the season, we have four games to go, a cup final to play, players are returning and that gives us a good mood into those four next games and the cup final.’
Casemiro started at centre-back versus Burnley (Picture: Getty)
Maguire will be desperate to prove his fitness in time United’s trip to Wembley in three weeks time, as Ten Hag’s men look to get revenge for last year’s final.
Speaking to Sky Sports after United’s epic win over Coventry City, the defender said the squad were ‘really happy’ to make the final for a second year in succession.
‘Coming into training the next day, you’re in another final, an FA Cup final,’ Maguire said.
‘It’s what you dream of playing in when you’re a young boy so the boys are really happy we’ve made it to the cup final.
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‘We’ve had a good run along the way, obviously beating our rivals Liverpool in the quarter-finals and then going to Wembley, being comfortable for that first 70 minutes.
‘But like I said, the way the game ended, we were disappointed with the way that we acted and we played in that last 20 minutes and then even in extra-time.
‘We went into extra-time, we remained focused, we got our heads back, but we didn’t play to a level that we should have so on that behalf, yeah, it was disappointing.’
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