56th setback of the season: Manchester United dealt fresh double injury blow ahead of Bournemouth fixture

Manchester United have confirmed a double injury blow ahead of their trip to face Bournemouth in the Premier League this weekend.

Raphael Varane is set to be out for a 'few weeks' against sustaining a muscle injury in the defeat to Chelsea a week ago, while Jonny Evans will also miss Saturday's match with a less serious muscle injury. Varane is aiming to be back in action before the end of the campaign, but is set to leave the club for free at the end of the campaign as he nears the end of his current contract.

Varane was replaced at half-time of the match at Stamford Bridge a week ago, while his replacement Evans lasted just 20 minutes before he was taken off himself. It means United could once again have just two centre-backs fit for their clash against Bournemouth this weekend, with Harry Maguire and Willy Kambwala both in line to start at the Vitality Stadium.

The respective setbacks for Varane and Evans mean there have now been 56 separate cases of injury and illness that have caused a senior United player to miss a competitive game this season, with some players understood to be questioning the intensity of training under manager Erik ten Hag.

United will need to put in an improved performance when they travel to the South Coast on Saturday evening and will be seeking revenge after they lost 3-0 at home to Bournemouth earlier in the season.

Ten Hag’s side were fortunate to even escape with a point against Liverpool last weekend after two stunning goals salvaged what was otherwise another concerning team performance.