A former Manchester United player is reportedly taking legal action against the club after leaving in 2023.
After a difficult start to the 25/26 season, United have enjoyed a recent upturn in form, as they currently sit seventh in the Premier League table with 18 points.
The Red Devils are also on a five-match unbeaten streak, having beaten the likes of Sunderland, Brighton and Hove Albion and Liverpool in recent weeks.
While things are going well on the pitch, United have now been hit with an issue off the field.
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According to a recent report by Sky News, United have been accused of 'harming the career of former player Axel Tuanzebe by failing to treat an injury promptly and appropriately'.
Tuanzebe, 27, spent his youth career with United before making a total of 37 appearances for the Red Devils.
After loan spells with the likes of Aston Villa, Napoli and Stoke City, Tuanzebe left Old Trafford for Ipswich Town back in 2023.
This summer, the defender left Ipswich for newly-promoted Premier League side Burnley on a free transfer.
It has been suggested that United's handling of the injury situation left Tuanzebe with 'more serious long-term problems'.
The report stated that Tuanzebe 'blames United for no longer being able to play without restriction or impediment' and is expecting to recover damages in excess of £1 million.
The apparent lawsuit is believed to be centred around stress fractures at the back of Tuanzebe's spine.
It has been reported that Tuanzebe allegedly suffered a left-sided pars fracture in January 2020, and it became chronic by July 2022 when he developed a right-sided pars fracture.
The fractures have allegedly caused Tuanzebe 'significant pain and discomfort since their development and deterioration'.
As per Sky News, the lawsuit said: "Appropriate treatment plans would, on the balance of probabilities, have resulted in the claimant avoiding the pain and discomfort set out below and would have resulted in him being able to play professional football at elite level without restriction or impediment.
"As it is, although he continues to play at an elite level, this has impacted his career and earnings."
It continued: "It is the claimant's case that the defendant [United] negligently failed to properly investigate the claimant's pars fractures, failed to rest the claimant and failed to refer him to a specialist sports spinal surgeon.
"As a result, the claimant's symptoms significantly progressed to bilateral grade 4 fractures, and he developed a left-sided chronic spinal fracture. Had the claimant been appropriately rested, his left-sided pars fracture would not have developed into a chronic condition and the right-sided fracture would have been avoided altogether."
SPORTbible has contacted Manchester United for comment.
Topics: Manchester United, Premier League, Football, Axel Tuanzebe
Marcus Chan