Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says Paul Pogba is set to be out for up to four weeks after he was ‘advised by his people’ to undergo surgery.

The Manchester United midfielder was again absent as the Red Devils were beaten 2-0 by Arsenal on New Year’s Day.

Getty Images - Getty 2 Pogba has only made seven Premier League appearances for Man United this season

Pogba only returned from an ankle injury on December 22 in the defeat at Watford after three months on the sidelines, but has now missed United’s last two games.

And he is now set for surgery which is likely to rule him out for the rest of January, with Solskjaer suggesting that Pogba has been taking advice from his representatives over his fitness.

“Three or four weeks maybe, I don’t know,” said Solskjaer when asked how long Pogba will be out for.

“He’s been advised to have an operation by his people and he’ll probably do that.”

Solskjaer’s comments about Pogba came after the World Cup winner’s agent, Mino Raiola, criticised the club and suggested they were holding his client back.

Raiola said: “Pogba’s problem is Manchester United. It’s a club out of touch with reality and without a sporting project.

“I wouldn’t take anyone there, they would even ruin Maradona, Pele and Maldini. Paul needs a club and a squad, one like Juventus was before.”

getty images 2 Solskjaer saw his Man United side well beaten by Arsenal in their first match of 2020

Solskjaer later added in his press conference following the defeat to Arsenal that United medics were in agreeement that Pogba needs minor surgery.

“We have had scans and it is nothing major. It is something that has to be sorted and dealt with, within a time frame and he has been advised to do it as soon as,” he said.

“He probably will do it as soon as. He will be out for a three or four weeks probably.

“We’ve had consultants looking at him as well and the club has been looking at it, the scans have been done by us. We’ve been without him all season, so the boys who’ve been playing have been fantastic.

“And it is a big blow Paul’s out now, then Scott [McTominay]’s out. Because he’ll be out for [a couple of] months and that’s a big blow for us as well.

“Scotty’s been magnificent and we just hope that Paul can come back, he’ll be back within a monthish.

“It’s been advised that he’ll do it as soon as. We look after our players’ health and are not going to take any risk with any players that don’t feel able to play on.”

With Pogba and McTominay both sidelined, United could now enter the transfer marker in January, with Solskjaer eyeing ‘one or two’ players.

“Of course it is playing on our decision making when we have two players out – Paul for a month and Scott for two,” Solskjaer said.

“That will give us less options and we have loads of games and important games, but still it has to be right and that is the big point.

“If it’s available and if it’s possible we will do something, definitely. We are looking at one or two.”