Manchester United goalkeeper Dean Henderson, who is currently on a loan spell with Nottingham Forest, is likely to be sidelined for three months after suffering a fresh setback in his recovery from a thigh injury. The English international is not expected to play any further part in the final few games of Forest’s campaign.

The 26-year-old suffered a grade two tear in his thigh in January and it was initially predicted that he could be out of action for four to six weeks. However, he has unfortunately failed to recover from the issue and Manchester Evening News report that he will undergo an operation for the same.

This could keep him out until August at least, thereby raising doubts over his chances of leaving United. Henderson has been keen on stretching his stay at United and eventually becoming the prime goal-keeper for the club, but that has not been easy for the man with the presence of David de Gea, who has consistently been a manager’s favourite. 

According to Nextbet, Henderson pushed for his temporary move away from United last summer. He decided to agree terms with Forest without speaking with manager Erik ten Hag. It is quite clear that the €22 million-rated star does not want to play second fiddle to David de Gea and we don’t see his stance changing during the summer.

His latest injury setback has now put United in a difficult situation. The club would have ideally preferred to sell him in early June or July to recoup transfer funds. However, the shot-stopper is now sidelined until August due to his surgery and there are no assurances that he will prove his fitness before the transfer deadline.

If Henderson does not make his recovery in time, United may have to wait until January to offload him. Meanwhile, the Red Devils have identified Dinamo Zagreb goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic as a potential back-up to De Gea. They are ready to trigger his release clause. They are also targeting Andre Onana from Inter Milan and Diogo Costa from Porto, but these players might cost a lot more.