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Jose gives update on Romelu Lukaku injury

Romelu Lukaku was stretchered off with an oxygen mask in the opening quarter of an hour in Manchester United’s 0-0 draw with Southampton on Saturday.

Saints defender Wesley Hoedt accidentally headbutted the Belgian international in the back of the neck in the opening minutes of the game at Old Trafford when both players challenged for a header.

Lukaku was down for six-and-a-half minutes before being stretchered off to be replaced by Marcus Rashford.

Speaking after the game, Jose Mourinho said the collision was accidental.  He told MUTV:

“That’s football. He was just unlucky. I think the Dutch central defender goes with him for the ball and it’s unlucky for Romelu and unlucky for Hoedt. It was nothing aggressive and, hopefully, nothing important. But the first consequence of is he didn’t play for the rest of the game.”

The boss added that he expects Romelu Lukaku to miss the next two games at least:

“I don’t know,” Mourinho added about a timescale on the summer signing’s return. “I know that normally bad, bad news arrives immediately. Bad news didn’t arrive. I think that there’s a problem for the next two matches. For sure.”

Should Mourinho be accurate it means Romelu Lukaku would miss the trip to former club Everton on New Year’s Day and the FA Cup third round tie at home to Derby County on Friday.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic was not included in our matchday squad for the visit of Southampton on Saturday whilst Mourinho also has Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial who he can call upon for these games.