Manchester United have confirmed that Luke Shaw is likely to spend "a few months" on the sidelines with a muscle injury.
The luckless left-back had initially been withdrawn at half time of the 2-1 win over Aston Villa on February 11, which Erik ten Hag revealed at the time was a precautionary measure.
Shaw was given the green light to line up against Luton Town the following week, but once again, Victor Lindelof had to take the 28-year-old's place for the second half of that 2-1 success.
Rather than cede his place to Lindelof at half time, though, Shaw had to be withdrawn in the dying embers of the first 45, and Ten Hag admitted that the former Southampton man appeared to have sustained something severe.
A medical update from Man United has confirmed the worst, and Shaw is at risk of missing the remainder of the season with his muscular problem, but further tests are needed to determine the full length of his absence.
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"Luke Shaw has sustained a muscle injury and will be out for an extended period," Man United said. "Further assessment is still needed to determine the severity but we expect him to be absent for a few months."
With the England international likely to spend the remainder of the campaign on the sidelines, he is set to miss a plethora of blockbuster Premier League games, including clashes with Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool.
The Red Devils are still competing for FA Cup glory and will face Nottingham Forest in their fifth-round tie on February 28, before the quarter-finals - which Shaw will also miss - take place in the middle of March.
The defender will not be available for April's semi-finals should Ten Hag's men get that far, and with the final scheduled for May 25, it remains to be seen whether Shaw's affliction would settle down in time for a hypothetical Wembley trip.
Owing to a previous muscular problem, which sidelined him from August to November, Shaw - whose spot in England's Euro 2024 squad may also be at risk - has only turned out on 15 occasions for the Red Devils in the current campaign, setting up one goal in the Champions League.
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Shaw is one of four Man United defenders currently occupying a bed in the medical bay, as Aaron Wan-Bissaka is struggling with a knock and will spend another few weeks on the sidelines too.
Lisandro Martinez and Tyrell Malacia - both of whom could cover for Shaw on the left-hand side - are also recuperating from knee problems, and the latter is still waiting for his first appearance of the season owing to recent complications.
With Martinez and Malacia still out of contention, Lindelof should be Ten Hag's first pick to cover for Shaw in the coming months, starting with Saturday's Premier League home clash with Fulham.
As well as their defensive quartet, Anthony Martial (groin) and Mason Mount (calf) are also confined to the infirmary, and neither man is expected to be back in action until the latter stages of March at the earliest.
Despite their fitness concerns, Man United head into the weekend on a four-game winning streak in the Premier League to rise into sixth in the table, just five points worse off than Aston Villa in the final Champions League spot.
Ben Knapton
