Manchester United star at risk of missing key festive period

Jose Mourinho has revealed Manchester United defender Antonio Valencia looks set to miss the festive break with a hamstring injury.

Valencia sustained the injury in the second half of United’s 2-1 win against West Brom last weekend and missed the midweek League Cup defeat to Bristol City.

The Ecuador international revealed after the West Brom game he was fine but Mourinho confirmed on Friday that Valencia would not feature against Leicester this weekend and may not feature at all during the festive period.

"Valencia is out as you know [of the festive period]. Eric Bailly is having surgery right now, or is just finishing or is still there,” The Daily Mail quote Mourinho as saying.

“Fellaini is not available [against Leicester]. I don’t know [about the rest of the year]. Michael Carrick, no. But not for the Christmas period.”

Valencia’s absence over the festive period may present Luke Shaw with the chance to salvage his United career.

Ashley Young, who has been keeping Shaw out of the first-team equation this season, is expected to replace Valencia at right-back against Leicester, leaving his left-back role vacant.

As neither Daley Blind nor Matteo Darmian have travelled with the United squad for Saturday’s match, it only increases the chances Shaw will feature.

Nevertheless, Valencia’s absence is a huge blow for United. The 32-year-old has developed into one of the best full-backs in the Premier League under Mourinho and has been the pillar of consistency for almost 18 months now.

In fact, of players that have started at least 25 Premier League matches since the start of last season, Valencia is the highest WhoScored rated right-back (7.18).