Christian Eriksen faces at least three months out in Manchester United blow

Erik ten Hag has insisted Christian Eriksen’s ankle injury that could rule him out until early May will not derail Manchester United’s season. The manager said it was unlikely a midfielder would be signed on Tuesday’s transfer deadline day.

Eriksen sustained the injury in a challenge by Reading’s Andy Carroll in Saturday’s 3-1 FA Cup victory at Old Trafford. Carroll was not booked, though he was later sent off. On Tuesday United said Eriksen could be out for more than three months, the club’s disquiet with Carroll evident in the mention of his challenge in their statement.

Ten Hag said: “Of course he’s disappointed, we are disappointed, but it happens in top football. It shouldn’t have happened but it did and you have to deal with it.”

Regarding a potential replacement he said: “On deadline day it’s difficult. You can’t make policy on such bad injuries but we have players in the midfield department – good players; we have players who can fill the gap.

“I think you can never fill that [gap the same] because every player has his own characteristics and identity. Another player will always fill it in a different way but it doesn’t mean you have to be less successful. It’s quite clear Christian Eriksen brings top quality to our squad and he has some specifics that are hard to replace – such as his impact in the final third with his final ball.”

One deputy may be Fred, who would form a partnership with his international colleague Casemiro. “He’s playing together with Casemiro in the Brazil squad,” Ten Hag said. “That’s not the worst squad in the world. They have so many choices they can make but they often prefer to play [them] together and that tells something about the quality Fred has and what he can contribute.”

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United said Eriksen was “caught by a tackle from Reading striker Andy Carroll. While investigations are continuing, initial assessments indicate that Eriksen is likely to be out until late April or early May.”