Disaster strikes for Newcastle's top-four rivals as Man Utd suffer double blow on Friday night

Fears Man Utd could yet miss out on a top-four finish have only increased tonight, as The Athletic have revealed that star centre-back Lisandro Martinez has been ruled out for the remainder of the season.

The Argentine suffered a metatarsal injury in the final few minutes of their 2-2 draw with Sevilla last night; a game which also saw Raphael Varane limp off with another potentially season-ending issue.

David Ornstein reports that the Frenchman's foot is still being assessed, but there are 'concerns' Man Utd will be missing BOTH of their first choice centre-backs for the final nine games of the campaign.

With Man Utd level on points with Newcastle and a fierce rival in our bid for Champions League football, this is a huge blow for ten Hag and an unexpected boost for our top-four hopes.

Elsewhere, Luke Shaw could miss Sunday's trip to Nottingham Forest through injury, while top scorer Marcus Rashford was ruled out for a "few games" after limping off with a groin problem in their 2-0 win over Everton last weekend.