Manuel Ugarte: Man Utd have confirmed the midfielder has damaged knee ligaments

Manchester United have confirmed that midfielder Manuel Ugarte suffered a knee ligament injury in Uruguay’s World Cup defeat to Spain in Guadalajara on Friday.

Ugarte twisted awkwardly while attempting a tackle in Spain’s winning goal and had to be carried off the pitch on a stretcher.

The 25-year-old was assessed by the Uruguayan’s medical staff on Saturday and will now travel to Manchester for further tests before United officials decide on the best course of action.

Numerous reports in the Uruguayan media have claimed that Ugarte has suffered a cruciate ligament injury, which will rule him out for several months.

However, United will wait for their own test before accepting such a bleak scenario.

“Manchester United can confirm that Manuel Ugarte has suffered a knee ligament injury while representing Uruguay in Friday’s World Cup group stage match against Spain,” the club said.

“Evaluation of the injury is ongoing to determine the best course of treatment and duration of rehabilitation.

“Everyone wishes Manuel a successful recovery and we will support him every step of the way.”

Ugarte went into the World Cup knowing he could be in the shop window as United prioritized rebuilding their midfield.

The £50.8m arrival from Paris Saint-Germain in 2024 did not live up to expectations during his time at Old Trafford and his last appearance was when he started the home Premier League defeat to Leeds on 13 April.

It was widely expected that he would move on either permanently or on loan this summer.

Now those plans are in doubt, with United’s thoughts focused on the player’s fitness.