Manchester United are set to be without ​two of their leading strikers for at least the next couple of games, with Jose Mourinho revealing the extent of an injury to Zlatan Ibrahimovic after Romelu Lukaku went off injured in their 0-0 draw with Southampton on Saturday. 

The Belgian was stretchered off with a nasty-looking head injury early in the match, and Mourinho told the media after the game: “When you see a player leave the pitch like he did, it is usually two games at least.”

He also told BT Sport that Ibrahimovic is set to miss at least a month with a knee injury, saying: “Zlatan – one month out. A massive problem. He is a 37-year-old with a bad knee.”

United do at least have options up front, with Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford both having experience through the middle – particularly the latter, who more or less led the line for the reigning Europa League champions at the end of Louis van Gaal’s final season at the club. 

The news will come as a massive blow to a United side who have now failed to win in four games in all competitions, following a 2-1 Carabao Cup defeat to Bristol City with a trio of draws in the league against Leicester, Burnley and the Saints. 

While goals have not necessarily been a problem in those games – the Leicester and Burnley matches both ending 2-2 – a rejig up front will only add to the pressure on Jose Mourinho to get his side back to winning ways.