Featured image credit: PA Images
Eric Bailly may well end up missing several weeks of Manchester United's season and fans are worried about the impact the loss of their new centre-back could have on their title ambitions.
Bailly arrived at Old Trafford back in June from Villarreal for a fee in the region of £30 million and has made a bright start to life under Jose Mourinho, and has formed a formidable partnership with Daley Blind.
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United have conceded just one Premier League goal so far, and many fans are worried what breaking up that partnership could mean. On Saturday, Bailly's international side Ivory Coast qualified for the winter's African Cup of Nations, which runs from January 14, 2017 until February 5, 2017.
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Bailly will be expected to join his side for warm-up matches too, meaning he could be missing for the match at home to Liverpool on January 14, as well as the tough trip to Stoke the following week.
He could also miss the semi-finals of the League Cup, as well as the trip to Premier League champions Leicester on February 4, depending on how the Ivory Coast fare.
Fans are not entirely enthused at the prospect of losing one of their most influential players for so long:
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Will United's failure to bring in another centre-half come back to haunt them in January or will they cope without the impressive young Ivorian? Have your say in the comments section, below.
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Topics: Football, Manchester United, ivory coast, Eric Bailly
