Manchester United have been boosted by the news that the injury suffered by Raphael Varane against Chelsea is less serious than originally feared.

The Lowdown: Varane forced off against Chelsea

The Red Devils battled their way to a 1-1 draw in west London in their Premier League clash on Saturday evening, with Casemiro's last-gasp equaliser earning the visitors a point.

There was a worrying moment on the hour mark at Stamford Bridge, though, with Varane having to be replaced by Victor Lindelof because of a hamstring problem.

Given the nature of the injury, there was concern that the 29-year-old would be out for a significant period, but a fresh update suggests otherwise.

The Latest: Varane injury boost

Taking to Twitter, injury analyst Ben Dinnery relayed the news that Varane's problem isn't a serious one.

He outlined:

"Reports from France suggest the hamstring injury suffered by Raphael Varane was ‘less serious than feared’ after the United centre-back was forced off during Saturday’s game at Stamford Bridge."

The Verdict: Huge positive for United

This is an enormous boost for United, with Varane so far being a regular first-choice pick under Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford and being hailed as 'magnificent' by Mark Goldbridge last year.

These reports that he should only be missing for a short period of time, if indeed at all, will come as a great relief to him and the Red Devils, and he is going to be such a key figure in the  top-four battle.

Boasting a formidable CV at both club and international level, Varane has shown his worth to United this term by ranking among their top three players for both clearances and successful aerial duels per game, and his blossoming partnership with Lisandro Martinez has the makings of being a strong one for a few years.