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Manchester United midfielder Christian Eriksen has been ruled out with an ankle injury until May, giving Erik ten Hag a massive injury headache. The Dane picked up the knock in the Red Devils' 3-1 win over Reading in the FA Cup 4th Round. He was recklessly fouled by Reading striker Andy Carroll and left Old Trafford on crutches as fears grew over how long he would be on the sidelines.
A statement from the club on their official website confirmed that Eriksen will be out of action until April-May:
"While investigations are continuing, initial assessments indicate that Eriksen is likely to be out until late April or early May. Eriksen’s absence will be a big disappointment to manager Erik ten Hag and fans given the consistency of his performances throughout the season so far."
Eriksen has been in fine form this season, scoring two goals and providing nine assists in 31 games across competitions. After leaving his former club Brentford, he joined Manchester United as a free agent last summer.
Ten Hag said the club would wait for a diagnosis following the win over Reading. They have now learned that the Danish midfielder will miss most of the remainder of the season.
Manchester United are still competing in four competitions: the Premier League, the UEFA Europa League, the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup. Ten Hag will have a lot to consider as he loses one of his most consistent players until at least late April.
The Red Devils will likely call upon either Fred or Scott McTominay to come in and replace Eriksen, who was a regular starter this campaign. The club appear unwilling to dip into the transfer market, with the transfer window closing tonight (January 31).
Barcelona are interested in signing Manchester United's Anthony Elanga on loan until end of the season
Barcelona are being linked with a last-minute loan move for Manchester United winger Elanga. According to ESPN, La Liga have told Barca that they have a small chance of having the salary to register new players permanently. The Blaugrana have decided to pursue loan moves as a result of this.
Elanga has emerged as a possible loan target for the Catalan giants as he has fallen down the pecking order at Old Trafford. He has featured 20 times across competitions and seven in the Red Devils' starting lineup, providing two assists. He may be allowed to leave on loan before tonight's deadline.
Barca are considering a replacement for Memphis Depay, who joined Atletico Madrid earlier this month. Per Spanish journalist Fernando Polo, they have also suffered an injury setback, with Ousmane Dembele sidelined for around six weeks.
Barcelona are Manchester United's opponents in the Europa League playoffs on February 16 and 23. Both Dembele and Eriksen look set to miss those clashes.
