Blind blow adds to United's woes

Manchester United appeared to have been dealt another injury blow after midfielder Daley Blind suffered suspected torn knee ligaments while playing for Holland tonight.

Blind hobbled out of the game in Amsterdam against Latvia, which Holland would go on to win 6-0, after 20 minutes following a fall in a challenge with Eduards Visnakovs.

After the match, Dutch manager Guus Hiddink expressed concerns, suggesting Blind could be facing up to six weeks of rehabilitation.

“It doesn’t look good. It is his medial ligament. It could be a strain but also be a tear, so that is a big blow,” Hiddink said, reported on Dutch website Voetbal International.

United manager Louis van Gaal, who guided the Netherlands to the World Cup semi-finals in the summer before taking up his post at Old Trafford, has been left counting the cost of the international break.

England midfielder Michael Carrick was sent home ahead of the qualifier against Slovenia because of a groin problem, while goalkeeper David De Gea dislocated his finger while training with Spain.

Blind, signed from Ajax for £14m on transfer deadline day, had been deployed as an emergency central defender by Van Gaal following injuries to Phil Jones and Marcos Rojo and the suspension of Chris Smalling.

United, who are currently seventh in the Barclays Premier League, travel to Arsenal on Saturday for the televised 5:30pm kick-off.