Manchester United suffered two more centre-back injuries during Thursday's Premier League clash against Chelsea, with Raphael Varane and Jonny Evans forced off at Stamford Bridge.
Varane had been a doubt for the contest in the capital after being replaced at the interval of last weekend's league contest with Brentford.
The ex-France international trained ahead of the clash with Chelsea and was named in the Man United starting side, but he appeared to injure his hip towards the end of the first period and was replaced by Evans at the break.
Evans has recently been sidelined, missing the team's last two matches, and the Northern Ireland international had to be substituted in the 66th minute of what proved to be a 4-3 loss for Man United.
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Man United have centre-back crisis
Victor Lindelof and Lisandro Martinez are missing for the next month due to hamstring and calf problems respectively, while Varane and Evans are now seemingly facing time on the sidelines.
As a result, Harry Maguire is the team's only recognised senior centre-back who is fit and available, with 19-year-old Willy Kambwala now set for a run in the side in the coming weeks.
The teenager made his senior debut against West Ham United in the Premier League in December, and his outing against Chelsea proved to be his fifth league appearance of the campaign.
Kambwala was recently used off the bench at right-back against Manchester City and Everton but will be needed in the middle of the defence in the coming weeks.
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Man United led Chelsea 3-2 heading into the final stages of Thursday's contest, having recovered from two goals behind to take the lead at Stamford Bridge.
However, Palmer made it 3-3 with his second penalty of the match in the 10th minute of added time at the end of the 90 before a deflected effort from the Englishman won it for the Blues less than a minute later.
Erik ten Hag's side will now need to dust themselves down to prepare for Sunday's Premier League contest against Liverpool.
The defeat is a huge blow for the team's hopes of securing a Champions League spot for next season, with the result leaving them sixth in the table, nine points behind fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur on the same number of matches.
Matt Law
