Alejandro Garnacho posts statement after Manchester United injury blow

Alejandro Garnacho will not report for international duty having withdrawn from Argentina’s squad for the October break due to a knee injury.

The 20-year-old confirmed in a statement posted on his Instagram stories that he had been playing through pain, especially in Manchester United’s goalless draw against Aston Villa, and will take the international break as a recovery period.

Garnacho’s recent performances for Manchester United earned him regular call-ups to Argentina’s squad and he was initially one of 27 players selected by head coach Lionel Scaloni to face Venezuela and Bolivia this month.

Writing on the social media site, he said: “I’ve had knee problems for the last two games and I won’t be able to be with the national team, but I hope to recover quickly and be on the next date [for internationals against Paraguay and Peru in November].”

The Argentine Football Association explained that a problem in Garnacho’s left knee as the reason for his withdrawal and they released a statement reading: “Alejandro Garnacho was left out of the squad due to discomfort in his left knee. Facundo Buonanotte was called up for the October international fixtures.”

The winger has been one of United’s better players this season, scoring four goals and recording three assists in 11 appearances across all competitions. Yet his injury provides a new headache for under-fire manager Erik ten Hag who also had to replace Harry Maguire and Noussair Mazraoui at half-time during the Villa game.

Both players picked up injuries and, like Garnacho, Mazraoui has withdrawn from Morocco’s squad for their Africa Cup of Nations double header against the Central African Republic.

The 26-year-old defender has started every match since arriving at Old Trafford in the summer and would be a big blow to Ten Hag as the Dutchman looks to turnaround United’s poor start to the season. Both he and Maguire join Leny Yoro, Luke Shaw, and Tyrell Malacia as defenders currently struggling with injuries.