Manchester United have allegedly suffered a devastating injury blow over key attacker Amad Diallo, who could miss the remainder of the 2024-25 season with an ankle problem.
On the eve of their trip to fellow Premier League under-achievers Tottenham Hotspur, Ruben Amorim has already been dealt a number of fresh fitness concerns if reports are to be believed.
Earlier on Saturday, it was claimed that Kobbie Mainoo would spend a couple of weeks out through injury, while Manuel Ugarte and Toby Collyer are also major doubts for the trip to North London.
Amorim did admit in his pre-game press conference that his side had been hit by a couple of fresh concerns, although he refused to say which players had picked up issues in the week.
Following the revelations about Mainoo, Collyer and Ugarte, the Daily Mail claims that the fundamental Diallo has also entered the treatment room with a problem sustained in training.
Man United's Amad Diallo to miss rest of season?
© Imago
The report claims that the Ivorian's injury could be serious enough to rule him out for the remainder of the campaign in what would be a massive blow to Man United's hopes of cracking the top half of the Premier League table.
Diallo joined Man United during the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer days of 2021, but he did not make a proper name for himself at Old Trafford until this season, having not been deemed for regular action by Erik ten Hag at first.
However, the former Atalanta BC winger has now been directly involved in 16 goals in 38 appearances across all competitions in the 2024-25 season, nine of his own alongside seven assists.
Diallo has netted six times and provided as many assists in the current Premier League campaign, and he was rewarded for his rapid rise to prominence with a new contract until 2030 last month.
The 22-year-old, Mainoo, Ugarte and Collyer could be four of 10 absentees for Man United at Tottenham, as Lisandro Martinez, Luke Shaw, Tom Heaton, Mason Mount, Jonny Evans and Altay Bayindir are also carrying concerns.
Who could replace Diallo for Man United against Tottenham?
© Imago
For the past couple of months, Tottenham have been working with a double-figure absentee list, but while Spurs have received several boosts ahead of Sunday's game, it is ironically now Man United who could be working with such a ravaged squad.
Whether as a wing-back, a winger or one of Amorim's 'number 10s' in his 3-4-3 setup, Diallo has thrived in the current Man United setup, and the Ivorian will prove incredibly hard to replace.
However, new signing Patrick Dorgu is a potential solution; the former Lecce man made his debut as a right-sided wing-back in the recent FA Cup win over Leicester City and has experience playing on that side of the attack too.
Alternatively, Amorim could start Bruno Fernandes and Alejandro Garnacho behind either Joshua Zirkzee or Rasmus Hojlund, which would see Casemiro and Christian Eriksen join forces in a depleted midfield.
Zirkzee and Eriksen are also options in one of those number 10 slots, and the former is certainly a viable alternative amid claims that teenage striker sensation Chido Obi Martin will be a part of the squad this weekend.
Regardless of how Amorim navigates Diallo's gut-wrenching setback, this blow might just be the most bitter one yet for United.
Ben Knapton
