Man Utd suffer Raphael Varane injury blow ahead of Brighton clash as 'worst fears' could come true

Manchester United will be without Raphael Varane for their FA Cup semi-final against Brighton, following reports that the defender could be out for the rest of the season with an ankle injury.

The Red Devils face the Seagulls at Wembley on Sunday afternoon, as Erik ten Hag aims to deliver his second piece of silverware in just his first season in charge at Old Trafford.

A disappointing 3-0 defeat to Sevilla on Thursday evening saw them crash out of the Europa League, leaving the FA Cup as their only viable chance at a trophy.

However, they will be without experienced defender Varane for the contest, who could be joining Lisandro Martinez on the sidelines until the end of the season.

The 29-year-old was withdrawn at half-time during United’s Europa League 2-2 draw with Sevilla at Old Trafford, and has not featured for the club since.

While Wembley's clash has come too soon for the Frenchman, results from his latest scan suggest that he could miss the rest of the season.

How long is Varane out for?

The Mirror have claimed that Varane could be out for up to six weeks, with supporters' 'worst fears' on the brink of becoming a reality.

That would would rule him out of United’s last eight Premier League games of the season, as Ten Hag attempts to secure Champions League qualification.

Although the report states that United’s medical staff remain hopeful that Varane could recover in time for the FA Cup Final against local rivals Manchester City - should United defeat the Seagulls at Wembley.

Fellow centre-back Martinez was also forced off against Sevilla with a broken metatarsal, and has since had to undergo surgery, leaving Ten Hag without both of his first-choice centre-backs.

The pairs' absence has left the Dutchman with some thinking to do, with Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof the team's only available senior centre-backs.

But with Maguire suspended for the semi-final, Ten Hag may have to turn to the newly fit Luke Shaw to fill in at centre-back - a tactic he has used previously this season.