Manchester United fear Bruno Fernandes will miss as many as six matches following his hamstring injury in the club's 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa on Sunday.
The Portugal international was forced out of that match at half-time, with Lisandro Martinez coming on in his place.
United eventually went on to lose, with Morgan Rogers netting in either half to secure all three points for the home side.
Fernandes has been virtually ever-present for the Red Devils ever since joining the club from Sporting Lisbon back in the January transfer window of 2020.
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However, according to The Sun, the 31-year-old is now expected to miss as many as six matches in a hammer Christmas blow for Ruben Amorim's side.
Fernandes was spotted dining out with friends on Monday evening, with the Portugal international visiting Turquoise Restaraunt in Alderley Edge, Cheshire.
Apparently he told witnesses that he would certainly miss the Boxing Day clash with Newcastle, though refused to elaborate further.
Bruno Fernandes was left in pain during Manchester United's defeat to Aston Villa
| PAIn addition to that upcoming fixture, Fernandes isn't expected to be involved in games against Wolves, Leeds, Burnley, Brighton and Manchester City.
They could, however, welcome him back for their blockbuster showdown with Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on January 25.
It'll be intriguing to see who United replace Fernandes with for their next few games.
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Five facts about the Premier League | PA/GETTY/REUTERS/GBNEWSMartinez, a centre-back by trade, was deployed in midfield for the second half against Villa and looked neat on the ball.
Manuel Ugarte, who started that contest, has struggled throughout his time at Old Trafford but could still keep his place in the starting XI.
Casemiro is normally a starter but Kobbie Mainoo, widely considered a generational talent, has been regularly overlooked - leading to talk of a potential move away from the club in January.
United intend on signing at least one new midfielder once the season ends.
Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson is on their radar, while Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton and Brighton's Carlos Baleba is another player admired behind the scenes.
Meanwhile, speaking on Sunday, Amorim admitted that he was concerned about Fernandes and his potential unavailability for such a busy period.
Lisandro Martinez could replace Bruno Fernandes for the foreseeable future in Manchester United's midfield
|PA
"I think it's soft tissue," he said.
"So, it's going to take a while. We'll see.
"It is really strange. During this year, especially at this time, we have so many problems, but we have to cope with that."
In his post-match press conference, Amorim elaborated further.
"I don't know, I think he is going to lose some games, but I don't know for sure," added the 40-year-old.
"I don't want to talk about the matter, it is a guy who is always fit and he has shown he can always recover."