Manchester United have been served a hammer blow in their pursuit of the Europa League and a top-four finish in the Premier League with Zlatan Ibrahimovic set to miss the remainder of the season with a serious knee injury, reports The Daily Mail.
Ibrahimovic, 35, landed awkwardly on his knee in the final minutes of normal time in United’s win over Anderlecht in the Europa League on Thursday before limping off and being replaced by Anthony Martial for extra-time.
The way the 35-year-old landed, hyperextending his knee, was almost a carbon copy of the injury Kurt Zouma suffered for Chelsea last season that saw him sidelined for eight months, and while the severity of Ibrahimovic’s injury is yet to be fully known, he is almost certainly out for the remainder of the season.
It could well mean that United fans have seen the last of Ibrahimovic, whose current deal is due expire at the end of the season. Jose Mourinho’s side have an option to extend that by a further 12 months but Ibrahimovic has been unwilling to commit just yet with multiple offers on the table from MLS franchises.
Should the very worst be confirmed, United may not even look to activate the extension for the 35-year-old, who could well miss the majority of next season. It would be a real shame for Ibrahimovic’s United career, or indeed his whole career, to end like this having given so much to the game.
United are only two games away from playing in a Europa League final that will be hosted in Ibrahimovic’s country of birth, Sweden. It would have been a fitting end to the season for the former Sweden international to lift his first European trophy back on home soil, but now United will have to do so without their main man.
Since the start of last season in the Premier League Ibrahimovic has scored more goals than any other United player despite only joining for this season (17).
For more stats on Zlatan Ibrahimovic, click here to visit his WhoScored player page
