Paul Pogba is set to be sidelined for four weeks with the hamstring injury that forced him out of Manchester United ’s Champions League return.
Pogba underwent a scan at the club’s Aon Training Complex on Wednesday and it is understood the £89million midfielder is facing up to a month on the sidelines.
France star Pogba suffered the injury when he stretched for the ball in the 17th minute of United’s 3-0 win over Swiss visitors Basel in Tuesday's Group A opener.
He had to be substituted and later left Old Trafford on crutches.
Pogba will undergo extensive treatment in a bid to keep his enforced absence as brief as possible, although United are wary of rushing his rehab.
This is the third hamstring problem he has suffered since returning to the club from Juventus 13 months ago, and he may be sent to a specialist to try to get to the bottom of the problem.
The 24-year-old, whose fine start to the new season saw him chosen as United’s Player of the Month for August, will miss Sunday’s home Premier League clash with Everton.
He would have been rested for next Wednesday's League Cup tie at home to Championship side Burton anyway, but will also miss United’s Champions League visit to CSKA Moscow as well as the top-flight encounters with Southampton and Crystal Palace either side of that tie.
But boss Jose Mourinho is hopeful he can recover in time for the trip to face arch-rivals Liverpool in the Premier League on October 14.
United forward Marcus Rashford admitted Pogba’s enforced absence will be a “massive miss” for the Reds, who top the Premier League, but insisted they have the squad to cope without him.
“That’s why you have such a strong squad,” said Rashford. “But Paul’s going to be a massive miss and hopefully we can get him back fit as soon as possible.”