Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could look to replace Marcus Rashford with loan signings after confirming that the Manchester United top scorer could be out for up to three months with a double stress fracture of his back.
United failed to score for the third time in six matches since the start of the year as they lost 2-0 to Liverpool at Anfield in Rashford’s absence on Sunday, remaining fifth in the table and falling 30 points behind the Premier League leaders.
Confirming the severity of the injury to 19-goal Rashford, Solskjaer rued: ‘It’s just an unfortunate situation.
‘We’ve had many injuries to big players. Marcus, Anthony (Martial), Paul (Pogba), Scott (McTominay).
‘It might be we might look at some short-term deals and that could take us through until the summer.
‘We’re looking at numbers and if the right one’s there we could buy… if there’s a loan, it’s an option.’
Martial, who missed almost two months at the start of the season with a hamstring injury, is the only other United player to have reached double figures this season.
The Frenchman has scored 11 times, putting him two ahead of 18-year-old newcomer Mason Greenwood.
Rashford was forced off during the FA Cup win over Wolves in midweek after receiving a knock that compounded his existing back injury.
The 22-year-old had started every Premier League game for United this season and is now facing a race to be fit for England at Euro 2020 this summer.
‘He’s suffered a bad injury,’ Solskjaer told Sky Sports: ‘It’s a stress fracture that happened against Wolves and it’s not something that’s happened before.
‘He’ll be out for a while. He won’t be back until after the mid-season break. Normally a stress fracture is six weeks and he needs some rehab after that.’
