Harry Maguire suffers ankle ligament damage ahead of the Europa League final

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hopes to have Harry Maguire back for the Europa League final after confirming the Manchester United captain sustained ankle ligament damage on Sunday.

The 28-year-old was on the cusp of becoming the first outfield player in the club’s history to complete 72 consecutive Premier League matches until being forced off towards the end of Sunday’s 3-1 win at Aston Villa.

Maguire missed his first top-flight match since joining United in 2019 on Tuesday when former club Leicester came to Old Trafford.

ℹ️ The boss has an update on @HarryMaguire93 and it's hopeful! 🤞#MUFC #MUNLEI

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) May 11, 2021

Solskjaer confirmed in his pre-match interview with MUTV that the centre-back had avoided a fracture but faces a battle to get back for the Europa League final against Villarreal on May 26.

“Obviously we’ve had scans and the good news is there’s no fracture,” the United boss said.

“(There is) ligament damage and hopefully we’ll see him again this season. Hopefully ready for the final.”

Gareth Southgate will be sweating on Maguire’s fitness, with the England boss naming his Euro 2020 squad on May 25.