Maguire suffered the problem in the FA Cup third round tie against Wolves at the weekend. United were hoping it was only a minor issue that would allow him to face City, but manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer now has doubts about the next game as well.
“We don’t know,” was Solskjaer’s response when speaking about Maguire’s fitness.
Phil Jones replaced Maguire in the United XI on Tuesday night, lining up alongside usual starter Victor Lindelof. He would be expected to fill in once more against Norwich, which will be just his second Premier League appearance of the campaign – his only one so far came against Sheffield United in November and lasted just 45 minutes before being substituted at half-time.
Jones had another nightmare evening this week, highlighting just why he has found himself at the bottom of the centre-back pecking order at Old Trafford this season.
But with Eric Bailly, Marcos Rojo and Axel Tuanzebe still working their back to full fitness, Jones was suddenly the only option available to Solskjaer when Maguire was unable to play.
Once predicted by Sir Alex Ferguson to emerge as United’s greatest ever player, Jones’ popularity among fans has never been lower as a result of his calamitous performances.
The 27-year-old, who has 27 senior caps for England, remains one of the club’s longest serving players alongside David de Gea and Ashley Young after joining for close to £17m in 2011.
Last season, he was handed a new long-term contract until the summer of 2023, a decision from the club that many supporters were left scratching their heads at.
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Source : 90min