Bruno Fernandes injury: Progress & potential return date for Man Utd star

Manchester United set-up a historic all-Manchester affair in the FA Cup final by beating Brighton on penalties on Sunday afternoon, but their triumph may have come at a cost.

The Red Devils have been decimated by injuries in recent weeks with Marcus Rashford and Luke Shaw each spending spells on the sidelines before Raphael Varane picked up a knock and Lisandro Martinez broke his foot.

The absence of the two aforementioned centre-backs played a major role in their Europe League exit last week at the hands of Sevilla, and Erik ten Hag may be forced to endure the next couple of weeks without his creative talisman.

The early signs aren't particularly promising regarding Bruno Fernandes' injury.

What injury did Bruno Fernandes get against Brighton?

Fernandes sustained a knock to the ankle in Sunday's penalty shootout triumph over Brighton.

The injury occurred relatively early on in proceedings (given that the contest went the distance), but Bruno was determined to play on in such a huge game.

United considered replacing their creative talisman at the time of the incident, but the player's resolve won out before he was eventually replaced in the 101st minute by Wout Weghorst, who went on to score in the shootout.

Read the latest Man Utd news

What did Bruno Fernandes' wife post on Instagram?

Fernandes' wife, Ana Pinho, posted a picture on Instagram the day after United's win with her husband sporting a protective boot on his right foot.

The foot's also in an elevated position to aid recovery, with crutches also pictured.

How long will Bruno Fernandes be out and what games will he miss?

United are back in action on Thursday night as they visit a broken Tottenham side whose hopes of securing a top-four spot were vanquished long before their 6-1 humiliation at St. James' Park.

While Fernandes' injury is yet to be assessed, the protective boot and all would suggest he won't be available for Thursday's game and his status for Sunday's game at home to Aston Villa is also in doubt.

The games arrive thick and fast for the Red Devils down the stretch, and Bruno could miss several encounters should his injury sidelined him for just a couple of weeks. The club will not want the Portuguese international to join Lisandro Martinez on the sidelines for the remainder of the season.

LISTEN NOW

On this edition of The Promised Land, part of the 90min podcast network, Scott Saunders & Rob Blanchette discuss Man Utd's progress to the FA Cup final following a penalty shootout win over Brighton, and Thursday's crucial Premier League trip to Spurs.

If you can't see this embed, click here to listen to the podcast!