Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba could miss the remainder of 2021 after injuring his thigh on duty with France.
Initial estimates from the France camp suggest the 28-year-old will be out for between six and eight weeks.
That will take Pogba to the end of the year, at which point he can sign pre-contract terms with overseas clubs given his United deal runs out in June.
If he is out for eight weeks, he would miss two Champions League group games and up to 10 Premier League matches.
Uncertainty over Pogba’s Old Trafford future has been overshadowed in recent weeks by the home defeats by Liverpool and Manchester City that have sparked further debate around the future of manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The former Juventus midfielder was already going to miss United’s next match, away to Watford in the Premier League on 20 November, as he completes a three-match domestic ban following his red card as a substitute against Liverpool.
United boss Solskjaer is already without a number of players because of injury.
Pogba’s international team-mate Raphael Varane is out with a hamstring problem, Uruguay forward Edinson Cavani missed last Saturday’s defeat by Manchester City while England left-back Luke Shaw was substituted in the same match after a blow to the head.
Shaw is following concussion protocol and did not link up with the England squad on Monday.
Source: BBC