The United defender damaged his foot after a clash with domestic teammate Phil Jones and could miss vital run-in
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| Smalling wears a leg brace in Manchester on Monday night (Photo: Eamonn and James Clarke / Getty Images) |
Manchester United star Chris Smalling has been spotted for the first time since his training ground injury while on England duty.
The United defender damaged his foot after a clash with domestic teammate Phil Jones - and could be out for a large chunk of Jose Mourinho's side's hectic run-in, according to the Manchester Evening News.
Smalling, who has already had two layoffs this season, was snapped wearing a leg brace while on a night out with fiancee Sam Cooke - the pair eating at a Sri Lankan restaurant in Manchester city centre.
The 27-year-old withdrew from the England squad last week but the Football Association did not specify what injury he had sustained.
United manager Jose Mourinho could be left with just three fit centre halves for the Premier League visit of West Brom on Saturday after Smalling injured Phil Jones in England training last week.
Eric Bailly started for the Ivory Coast in their friendly with Senegal on Monday night and Marcos Rojo is due to figure for Argentina in their World Cup qualifier at Bolivia on Tuesday. Axel Tuanzebe played for England Under-20s on Saturday.
Smalling spent almost two months on the sidelines with a broken toe between October and December but eventually regained his first-team place after Jones succumbed to injury in February.
The interim United captain has started their last four matches and the likelihood is Mourinho will clarify the defender's injury at his pre-match press conference on Friday.
Mourinho revealed in an interview with Portuguese television earlier this month he prohibits his players from sharing injury information on social media.
"I try to establish a few basic rules," he explained. "For example a player that’s injured cannot put his diagnosis on social media before the club."
West Brom is the first of nine fixtures in a hectic April for United as they attempt to finish in the top four and win the club's first Europa League title.
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| (Photo: Getty) |
Everton visit Old Trafford on April 4 before a trip to Sunderland on April 9. United play their Europa League quarter-final first leg at Anderlecht on April 13 and host Chelsea three days later.
The return leg with Anderlecht is scheduled for April 20 before an all-Lancashire match at Burnley on April 23 precedes the third Manchester derby of the season on April 27.
Marouane Fellaini was the third United player to get injured on international duty with Belgium and he will not figure in their friendly in Sochi against Russia on Tuesday evening.
United will be without suspended duo Ander Herrera and Zlatan Ibrahimovic while Paul Pogba and Wayne Rooney are recovering from injury.
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