Jose Mourinho has confirmed that Eric Bailly will be out of action for "two or three months" with the Manchester United defender set for ankle surgery.
Bailly had trouble with his groin after returning from international duty with the Ivory Coast in October, but has since been sidelined with an ankle injury.
Mourinho confirmed after United's 1-0 win against Bournemouth on Wednesday night that surgery was an option for the "serious" injury, and Bailly will now go under the knife.
"He goes to surgery, the decision is made," Mourinho told MUTV on Friday. "I don’t say [he’s out] for the rest of the season but it’s for the next two or three months."
Despite United's impressive defensive form this season - with just 11 goals conceded, the joint-least in the Premier League along with Manchester City - Mourinho has yet to find a reliable centre-back pairing since arriving at Old Trafford in 2016.
Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and Marcos Rojo have all struggled with injury problems, while summer signing Victor Lindelof is yet to fully convince Mourinho after a shaky start to life in Manchester.
Additional reporting by Reuters.
