Man United suffer Manchester derby blow as Bruno Fernandes recovery timeline is 'revealed'

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes is reportedly set to be on the sidelines for at least the next month with the injury that he sustained against Aston Villa on Sunday.

The Portugal international pulled up after feeling something in his leg during the first half of what proved to be a 2-1 loss for the 20-time English champions at Villa Park.

Fernandes was able to complete the first period, but he was replaced by Lisandro Martinez at the interval and was later seen making his way to the bench to sit alongside the substitutes.

After the match, Red Devils head coach Ruben Amorim told reporters: "It's a soft tissue [injury], I think he's going to lose some games, I don't know for sure.

"Let's see. I don't know. I don't want to talk about matters you can't control. He is a guy who is always fit, so he might recover quite well. I think Kobbie Mainoo is out, Bruno is out. We will see. No excuses, we need to win the next game."

Fernandes facing 'a month out' with injury problem

According to The Telegraph, Fernandes is expected to missing for at least the next month.

As a result, the Red Devils skipper is set to be absent for Premier League matches against Newcastle United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Leeds United, Burnley and Manchester City, in addition to the FA Cup clash with Brighton & Hove Albion on January 11.

Fernandes' absence from the Manchester derby on January 17 would be particularly troubling, with the Portuguese's return then potentially coming against Arsenal on January 25.

Should the attacker's injury take longer than expected to heal, then the 31-year-old might not be back until the league game with Fulham on February 1.

How will Man United line up in midfield against Newcastle?

Man United will be boosted by the return of Casemiro for the Boxing Day fixture with Newcastle United, with the midfielder missing out against Villa through suspension.

With Mainoo again set to miss out through injury against Newcastle, there is a strong possibility that Casemiro will feature alongside Manuel Ugarte in central midfield.

However, Martinez impressed as a holding midfielder in the second half of the clash with Villa, and the Argentina international is another option in that area.

According to Sofascore, Martinez completed 29 of his 32 passes during his time on the field at Villa Park, and the Argentine's performance may have been enough to convince Amorim to select him in the XI against Eddie Howe's side.