Marouane Fellaini could be sidelined for six to eight weeks at Manchester United amid concerns that the midfielder suffered medial ligament damage during his brief substitute outing against Tottenham on Wednesday, a source has told ESPN FC.
Fellaini is due to undergo scans at United's Carrington training base on Thursday, if swelling in the knee joint has subsided enough for a clear diagnosis
A possible damage to the medial ligament will require surgery to resolve, opening up the possibility of the 30-year-old being sidelined until the beginning of April.
The Belgium international lasted just seven minutes of the 2-0 defeat at Wembley after replacing Paul Pogba as a 62nd minute substitute.
The former Everton player appeared to sustain the injury moments after entering the action and he confirmed to reporters after the game that the problem is in the same knee that has troubled him this season.
Having initially suffered the injury while playing for Belgium in a World Cup qualifier against Bosnia at the beginning of October, Fellaini was sidelined for a month before returning to action for United against Chelsea on Nov 5.
He then suffered another injury against Brighton on Nov 25, which saw him ruled out for a further six weeks until his return against Derby in the FA Cup at the beginning of January.
With Fellaini now suffering a third injury to the same knee in the space of four months, United are determined to get to the root of the problem.
But with the player out of contract at the end of the season, with no agreement in place over a new deal, a knee surgery could severely limit his opportunities to stake his claim for a better offer from the club before the end of the campaign.