Manchester United forward Rasmus Hojlund could reportedly be absent for the opening six weeks of the 2023-24 campaign.
The Denmark international's arrival at Old Trafford from Atalanta BC was confirmed on Saturday, with the youngster penning a five-year contract with the Red Devils.
There had initially been suggestions that the 20-year-old could make his debut for Man United in Sunday's pre-season contest with Athletic Bilbao, but it quickly emerged that an unknown injury would keep the Dane out of action in the early weeks of the campaign.
Red Devils head coach Erik ten Hag has now confirmed that his new signing is carrying an injury which will rule him out of the early stages of the season.
According to The Mirror, the forward could be missing for the first six months of the season with a stress response hotspot in his back.
© Reuters
The report claims that there is no concern surrounding Hojlund's long-term fitness, but the problem, which impacts the soft tissue between the vertebrae, generally takes approximately three months to heal.
Hojlund was last in action for Denmark in the middle of June, suggesting that he could miss another six weeks, with Man United not prepared to take any chances when it comes to his fitness.
According to the Daily Mail, such injuries need 'careful management', meaning that Hojlund is unlikely to be able to play twice a week in the opening months of the campaign, with the club looking to avoid the problem becoming a stress fracture.
The only treatment is believed to be prolonged rest, so the forward will not be considered in the early stages of the campaign despite the fact that he has been training during pre-season.
© Reuters
Hojlund has arrived at Old Trafford off the back of scoring 10 goals and registering four assists in 34 appearances for Atalanta during the 2022-23 campaign.
"[I'm] physical, passionate, and let's go with fast," the forward told MUTV in his unveiling interview when discussing his game.
"In Atalanta, we played a lot off the sides as well. As a wide striker, you would say [it's about] build-up play, hold-up play but, when I'm with the national team, I'm more of the target nine, an inside-the-box striker.
"So it's definitely two different kind of roles that I've had before so I hope that I can fit into the system."
Under the reported timeframe, Hojlund could miss Man United's first five games of the new Premier League season against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Tottenham Hotspur, Nottingham Forest, Arsenal and Brighton & Hove Albion.
Matt Law
