Manchester United midfielder Fred could face up to 'four weeks' out depending on the severity of his hip injury, according to expert Ben Dinnery. 

The lowdown

Fred headed down the tunnel during the first half of United's Premier League defeat away to Everton last weekend after sustaining the hip flexor issue.

The Red Devils were already without one of their midfield options in Scott McTominay, who suffered a foot injury in the lead-up to the trip to Goodison Park.

Fred has started 23 PL matches for United this season, including the last five in succession.

Ralf Rangnick's side are due to host Norwich City on Saturday afternoon and could be up to nine points behind fourth-place Tottenham Hotspur at kick-off depending on the Lilywhites' result against Brighton.

The latest

Dinnery, an injury analyst who contributes for Sky Sports, told Football Insider that Fred could be anywhere between a week and a month out of action.

He says the situation is a 'worry' for Rangnick, with his options already limited.

"As with any muscular problem, severity is key.

"If we are looking at something relatively minor, we could be talking seven to 14 days. As the level of severity goes up, the longer he would be out.

"If it was just a little tightness and it was more a precautionary measure, maybe there is an outside chance of him being involved this weekend.

"Imaging will determine the severity of the problem. But if it is more severe, that can easily extend to three to four weeks.

"It is a worry given what else is happening within that Man United team, with McTominay and others."

The verdict

This setback will be particularly tough for United to take because Fred has been shining in recent months.

Journalist Brad Cox has noted that he looks like a 'different' player under Rangnick, having scored or assisted five league goals since the turn of the year.

And the 63-year-old interim boss has described him as an 'extremely valuable' player for the team.

United do still have one defensive midfielder available in Nemanja Matic, but they may have to pair him with a no. 8 in Paul Pogba or even a no. 10 in Juan Mata if Rangnick sticks with his 4-2-3-1 shape. That could potentially upset the balance of the team.

In other news, this man is still expected to leave following Ten Hag's arrival.