Marouane Fellaini suffers suspected knee ligament damage

The bloody international break has claimed another victim. Marouane Fellaini limped off with injury after just 29 minutes of Belgium’s World Cup qualifier against Bosnia-Herzegovina on Saturday. Fellaini is now a doubt for next weekend’s match away at Liverpool, and will possibly be unavailable for weeks after that.

Initial tests revealed that Fellaini had suffered a strain to the inside of his left knee and possible further damage to a ligament, although the full extent of the problem will not be known until the player has undergone a scan.

Belgium manager and utter fraud Roberto Martínez did not sound hopeful: “We are all worried about Fellaini. We fear that there’s ligament damage.” Bollocks.

It is strange times indeed when we live in a world in which an injury to Marouane Fellaini is crushing news for Manchester United supporters, but the ungainly midfielder has rightfully earned his starting spot in the team during Paul Pogba’s extended absence. He has returned the faith of the manager with a series of competent performances.

If Fellaini is indeed sidelined for any length of time, Ander Herrera and Nemanja Matić will have to be wrapped in cotton wool, with only what’s left of Michael Carrick to back them up or complement them in a three man midfield. With Romelu Lukaku also struggling with an ankle problem, it may be a makeshift United team that takes the pitch at Anfield in a week’s time.