Manchester United are facing the prospect of entering 2026 without their star player, Bruno Fernandes, who suffered a muscle injury in Sunday’s defeat to Aston Villa. He was substituted at half-time and reports suggest that the United skipper could be sidelined for at least a month with a suspected soft-tissue injury.

Speaking after the final whistle at Villa Park, manager Ruben Amorim said: “I think it’s a soft-tissue injury so it’s going to be a while. He is a guy who is always fit so we hope he can recover well. We will see. It’s an injury and sometimes it’s bad luck or something else at the same time. You can never control these things. We will need to find solutions and we cannot use anything as an excuse. We need to prepare all the guys that we have for the next game.

“No one is going to remember these problems, so let’s cope with that. It will make us stronger.”

The timing of Fernandes’ injury, just days before the January transfer window opens, has intensified calls for a new midfielder to be brought in as a priority at Old Trafford.

However, Amorim has warned that the club must avoid making any errors in the upcoming transfer window.

“We need to deal with that. What we cannot do is reach January and try to do everything with urgency and make mistakes again and be left saying ‘here we go again’,” he stated.

“I am not going to go to Jason [Wilcox] and say we need a lot of players. If we have to suffer, the club comes first. Of course, we are in the moment that we need points, but we are going to continue with our plan. In this moment, you may feel we are going to struggle, but we will see.”

It remains to be seen how United’s transfer strategy will be impacted by Fernandes’ injury setback. With doubts surrounding Kobbie Mainoo and Casemiro, a new midfielder was already top of their priority list, but the latest development has made the situation more urgent.

Encouragingly, United have the chance to replace Fernandes in the immediate term and tackle their midfield concerns early in the transfer window.

Ruben Neves is a name that has repeatedly surfaced as a possible target for United, stretching back to his days at Wolves.

Currently at Al-Hilal, the 28-year-old is being touted for a return to the Premier League after turning down fresh terms in Saudi Arabia.

The Times have reported that Al-Hilal have accepted they will lose him on a free transfer in the summer and are now willing to sell him in January to try and recover some of the £47million they spent on him in 2023.

An estimated figure of £18m has been floated for the Portugal international, but it’s thought that clubs could secure his services for significantly less, potentially offering United a steal as they head into 2026.

During his stint at Wolves, Neves made a name for himself as a reliable Premier League midfielder, renowned for his spectacular long-range goals.

United’s pursuit of high-profile players like Adam Wharton and Carlos Baleba, who carry price tags nearing £100m, necessitates the exploration of more affordable alternatives this transfer window.

Neves, potentially available for as little as £10m, could be the ideal signing in January.