Manchester: Manchester United received another setback on Friday when manager David Moyes revealed that striker Robin van Persie will be out for a month with a thigh injury.
The Dutchman recently returned from a four-game lay-off due to a groin problem, playing in last weekend’s 1-0 loss to Newcastle United and the midweek victory over Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League.
However, he injured himself as he took the corner that led to Phil Jones’s 67th-minute winner against Shakhtar and Moyes expects him to be out of action until next year.
“Robin van Persie is out for a month,” Moyes said. “He picked up a thigh strain in taking a corner kick which led to the goal.”
Moyes added: “It is unfortunate because I think if you look at our record with Wayne Rooney and Robin in the team, it is actually very good and we have not had them for quite a period recently.
“Marouane Fellaini has a bit of a back injury. Michael Carrick is missing and Robin is going to miss four weeks with a thigh strain. That is a big blow to us.”
United’s top scorer last season, van Persie has scored seven goals in 11 league appearances this term.
No team has ever come from 13 points back at this stage of the season to win the Premier League, but Moyes wants the players to use it as a source of motivation as they seek to close the gap on leaders Arsenal and the other teams who sit above them.
Meanwhile, Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard will be sidelined for at least four weeks with the hamstring injury he picked up last weekend, manager Brendan Rodgers said.
Gerrard suffered the problem during Liverpool’s 4-1 win over West Ham United in the Premier League on Saturday and had to be replaced after 56 minutes at Anfield.
“Steven is, as reported, probably going to be (out for) up to about four weeks or so,” Rodgers told the Merseyside club’s website on Thursday.
“So he’ll go through an extensive treatment programme over the next numbers of weeks and hopefully we can get him back that little bit sooner.
“But certainly at this stage, it was a four to six-week injury and we’ll see how we look with that.”
Second-placed Liverpool, who are five points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal, visit Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
Manchester United will be at Aston Villa on Sunday. (Agencies)
