Manchester United have suffered a major injury blow ahead of their Champions League encounter with Villarreal after centre-back Harry Maguire was ruled out of action.

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The Red Devils host their Spanish opponents this evening looking for their first points in Group F, but their task has been made considerably harder due to their captain's enforced absence.

Maguire had to be substituted in the 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa over the weekend after picking up a calf injury, and he joined fellow defender Luke Shaw on the treatment table as the left-back also had to leave the field of play early due to a fitness concern.

United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer provided an update of the pair's current situation in Tuesday's press conference, and it appears as though Shaw has recovered quicker.

"Luke has been in today, so I’ll give him a chance to be involved, he didn’t train with the team," the Norweigian tactician revealed. "Harry is more or less definitely out; it doesn’t look good.

"It is his calf; that might take a few weeks. Let's see how quickly he recovers. He wanted to play against Villarreal; he missed the last game. We will have to make a few changes."

Solskjaer will be gutted

News that United will be unable to call upon the services of Maguire for this crucial Champions League clash will certainly leave Solskjaer feeling gutted.

A shock defeat against Young Boys in the opening group game has piled the pressure on the Old Trafford outfit to get a result against Villarreal, and the absence of their captain and first-choice centre-back is a bitter blow to their hopes of getting a positive result.

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