Eric Bailly ruled out for a month with knee injury

In what was already shaping up to be a frustrating afternoon at Stamford Bridge yesterday (23 October), Manchester United defender Eric Bailly had to leave the field early in the second half having sustained a knee injury.

United went on to lose 4-0 to Antonio Conte’s Chelsea in a one-sided affair.

After the match, José Mourinho told reporters: "He [Bailly] is injured and I’m afraid it is a bad injury.

"It is a knee ligament injury."

The full extent of the 22-year-old defender’s injury is not yet know, but Duncan Castles of The Daily Record is reporting today that Bailly might not be out quite as long as had been initially feared.

"Manchester United expect to be without key central defender Eric Bailly for at least a month after the Ivory Coast international suffered knee ligament injury in Sunday's 4-0 defeat at Chelsea," Castles reports

"Bailly is scheduled to take a full medical examination in Manchester today, but an initial assessment by United’s medical staff reported trauma damage to the lateral collateral ligament of the African's right knee."

Bailly joined United from Villarreal this summer in a £30 million deal.

The former Espanyol player was not widely known at the time but has since impressed with his performances in central defence.