Sandberg ruled out for up to eight weeks

Manchester United defender Anna Sandberg faces up to eight weeks on the sidelines after sustaining a knee injury in last week’s Champions League play-off first-leg victory over Atlético Madrid in Spain, manager Marc Skinner has confirmed.

The 22-year-old Sweden full-back was forced off at half-time during United’s 3-0 win, with initial fears centring on a calf complaint. Subsequent scans have since revealed damage to the meniscus that will require a minor tidy-up procedure, placing her recovery window between four and eight weeks.

Skinner, preparing his squad for Sunday’s return leg at Leigh Sports Village, said the club will adopt a cautious approach with the young defender, prioritising long-term fitness over a rushed comeback.

“There’s a little bit of a tidy up that needs to be done around Anna’s meniscus,” Skinner explained. “From the time frame we’ve been given, the best is four, the middle is six and obviously the worst case is eight. If it was eight, she would probably be back three or four games before the end of the season. We’re hopeful we can get it to six but won’t take any risk. She’s a young player so we’ll make sure she’s rehabbed effectively.”

Sandberg, who joined United in 2024 and has quickly become a mainstay of Skinner’s back line, will consequently miss the FA Cup fifth-round trip to Chelsea on 22 February and next month’s League Cup final against the same opposition. Her absence extends to the international stage, ruling her out of Sweden’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Italy and Serbia.

Gabby George, the experienced former Everton defender, replaced Sandberg at the interval during United’s 2-0 Women’s Super League victory over London City Lionesses on Sunday and is poised to continue filling the void.

United will monitor Sandberg’s rehabilitation closely, conscious that a fully fit return later in the campaign could prove pivotal to their ambitions on multiple fronts.