Zirkzee out of season after hamstring injury

Joshua Zirkzee could be sidelined for the remainder of Manchester United’s season after picking up a hamstring injury during Sunday’s heavy defeat to Newcastle United.

The Dutch forward, who joined United from Bologna for £36.5 million last summer, has endured a tough debut campaign at Old Trafford. 

The 23-year-old has managed just seven goals in 48 appearances across all competitions and has struggled to justify his price tag.

Zirkzee started in the 4-1 loss at St James’ Park but was forced off after 55 minutes, with Rasmus Højlund coming on to replace him—another striker who has found form hard to come by this season.

United, currently languishing in 14th place and well outside the European qualification spots, have six Premier League matches remaining, with their final fixture set for May 25 against Aston Villa.

There is still hope in Europe, as the Red Devils remain in contention for the Europa League title. They head into Thursday’s second-leg quarter-final clash with Lyon level at 2-2 on aggregate. However, manager Ruben Amorim faces a significant setback with Zirkzee’s injury.

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According to BBC Sport (via The Mirror), the striker has been undergoing tests since the weekend, and early indications suggest he could be out for several weeks—putting his availability for the rest of the season in serious doubt.

The news will not come as a shock to Amorim, who admitted after Sunday’s game that the prognosis was not good. He told MUTV: “We had to make rotation because we are trying to recover in two days from each game. But trying to win this game also. Josh, I think he will be out for some games. So, let’s focus on the next one [against Lyon].”