Manchester United defender Chris Smalling may not play for the Reds again before Christmas, with medical tests showing he has a broken toe, according to the Daily Mail.
The news comes after United boss José Mourinho criticised the 26-year-old and team-mate Luke Shaw for being unable to play through pain after the pair missed United’s 3-1 win over Swansea on Sunday.
Smalling’s last appearance came against Chelsea on October 23, where the central defender struggled through the entire 90 minutes during the Reds’ 4-0 defeat. It has now transpired that Smalling had to have two injections to get through the encounter, which explains his poor performance at Stamford Bridge.
Since then, he has not taken to the pitch for United and recent tests have shown that the England international has broken in toe severely in two places which will rule him out for the next two weeks.
Smalling will now miss at least seven matches, including key Premier League games against Arsenal, Everton and Tottenham as well as the League Cup quarter-final with West Ham later this month.
This news will not please Mourinho, who is struggling with defensive injuries. Phil Jones has only recently recovered from injury, while Eric Bailly will remain absent for at least another month with knee ligament damage.
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