Man Utd suffer huge blow with Bruno Fernandes injury worse than first feared

Manchester United have been handed a major blow ahead of their Premier League clash with Bruno Fernandes' injury worse than first feared, according to reports.

The Portuguese midfielder suffered an ankle injury during Sunday's FA Cup clash against Brighton at Wembley, which United won on penalties.

But Fernandes was substituted during extra time, having initially suffered the problem in the first half of the game.

He was not wearing a protective boot on the touchline afterwards, or on the way out of Wembley - but his wife, Ana Pinho, posted a photo to Instagram on Monday which showed the midfielder wearing protection around his ankle alongside a boot and crutches.

That sparked fears that Fernandes could miss Thursday's crunch fixture against Tottenham, which could go a long way to securing United's top four position if they can win the match.

And a new report claims that the injury appears to be worse than first thought.

Bruno Fernandes injury update

According to the Daily Mirror, Fernandes is expected to be ruled out of Thursday's fixture due to the ankle problem.

Furthermore, it is claimed that the 28-year-old is also a doubt for Sunday's match against Aston Villa - another key fixture in the battle for Champions League qualification.

Fernandes did return to Manchester with the rest of the United travelling party on Sunday after the Brighton win, and underwent tests the following day to determine the extent of the problem.

But he is reportedly set to be a big miss for Erik ten Hag against Spurs, as part of an injury list that is ever-increasing.

If he is not passed fit to play any part at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, he could be replaced by Marcel Sabitzer, who came on as a substitute in extra time against the Seagulls.

Football Insider claimed earlier this month that United are interested in making the Austrian's loan deal from Bayern Munich a permanent one this summer - and he could have a key part to play over the remainder of the season for Ten Hag's side.