Marouane Fellaini Expected to Miss Liverpool Matchup

Liverpool’s visitors next weekend, Manchester United, will arrive with limited options in midfield, after Marouane Fellaini was ruled out following a knee injury sustained while on international duty with Belgium. It was initially feared that Fellaini might be facing a long-term injury, but a scan on Sunday suggests a strain that might sideline the midfielder for a shorter spell instead.

José Mourinho’s side are already grappling with life without Paul Pogba in addition to dealing with Michael Carrick’s unavailability. Fellaini’s absence means that Ander Herrera and Nemanja Matić will likely be in the limelight for the crucial clash with Liverpool at Anfield, with not a lot of other first team midfield options in reserve. For Liverpool, it means one fewer aerial threat to deal with.

The loss will be one that United may look at particularly ruefully, given that Belgium had already qualified for the 2018 World Cup. Though often derided, Fellaini has experienced a bit of a resurgence in recent times, having scored four goals for his club this season. More worryingly for United, the injury comes at a time when European and domestic fixtures are starting to come thick and fast.