Manchester United defender Jonny Evans will be out for 'the next few weeks' after suffering a thigh strain in Copenhagen on Wednesday.
Evans was forced off inside the first 15 minutes of United's 4-3 Champions League defeat in the Danish capital. The 35-year-old pulled up with no opposition player around him and was replaced by Raphael Varane.
In his press conference ahead of the Premier League clash at home to Luton Town Erik ten Hag was unable to provide a clear update on Evans as he was awaiting further tests.
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A statement posted on the club website late on Friday night read: "Jonny Evans will be out of action for the next few weeks with injury. The Northern Ireland defender suffered a thigh strain in the first half of our Champions League game with FC Copenhagen in Denmark on Wednesday."
Evans will now join Lisandro Martinez and Luke Shaw on the list of unavailable players who can play as a left-sided centre-back. Varane is the most obvious replacement but looked shaky in coming off the bench on Wednesday.
Evans has started five of the last seven games and has been preferred to Varane, who was ever-present alongside Martinez last season. Ten Hag has spoken before about wanting defenders on their natural side and admitted that right-footers Maguire and Varane are in direct competition.
“Absolutely not," Ten Hag replied on Friday when asked if there was a wider issue to Varane's absence from starting XIs. "As I said, it is about tactical reasons why I chose these partnerships. I think Harry and Jonny did well.
“What I said last year, Harry didn’t play a lot, so I was very happy with Rapha’s performances. I have always been happy with his performance. But in this moment, Harry is playing very well and there is internal competition."
