Although an advocate of playing through pain, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer may not thank David De Gea for the particular patriotism that saw him stay on for Spain against Sweden with a tight adductor muscle this week, only to then slump to the turf injured following a subsequent clearance.



De Gea is now set to miss Manchester United’s pivotal game against Liverpool on Sunday, further populating a treatment room that has been uncommonly busy so far this season.



The goalkeeper became the 11th member of United’s first-team squad to suffer an injury or illness in a trend that has severely hampered manager Solskjaer. Of specific concern are the number of muscle strains which, by common medical consensus, can be more readily avoided than the knocks picked up through collisions.



Anthony Martial has been the biggest loss, out for eight weeks with a thigh problem that has dragged on, frustratingly. Luke Shaw has not been seen for the same period since limping out...