Manchester United goalkeeper Dean Henderson has been ruled out of this week’s training camp in Scotland as a result of lasting effects from contracting COVID-19 earlier in the summer.
Henderson initially tested positive for the virus a few weeks ago but is still continuing to recover and the club has confirmed he is suffering from ‘prolonged fatigue’ as a result of the illness.
The 24-year-old was forced to miss Euro 2020 with England as a result of a hip injury sustained a few days into the tournament. But while he has fully recovered from that setback, the ongoing fatigue comes as a significant blow ahead of what could have been a defining season for him.
His absence for now makes him a doubt to be fit in time for the start of the season, although a club statement explained that Henderson is ‘expected to be training again soon’,
With United’s final pre-season friendly of the summer against Everton coming up on Saturday and the opening game of the Premier League season against Leeds less than two weeks away, it puts David de Gea in pole position to start the campaign as number one.
Until now, De Gea has been on holiday following international duty with Spain at Euro 2020 and summer signing Tom Heaton had been getting the nod in goal for United’s friendlies so far following his return to the club as a free agent.
De Gea, Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof all reported for duty on Monday in time for the training camp in Scotland. Luke Shaw and Fred will also soon return, while Jadon Sancho will link up with his new teammates for the first time since his £73m transfer from Borussia Dortmund.
Phil Jones has made the trip to Scotland, but Marcus Rashford has not after deciding to undergo shoulder surgery to try to correct a longstanding problem.
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Source: 90min
