Manchester United's Marcus Rashford is expected to miss the start of the Premier League season through injury.
The United winger will undergo surgery for an ongoing shoulder problem this month, which could see him ruled out until October.
Rashford will have the surgery "at the end of the month", according to the Daily Telegraph 's James Ducker, less than a month after the player said he would make a decision on a possible shoulder operation after Euro 2020.
The 23-year-old has been taking painkillers to alleviate the problem so he could play a part with England at the European Championship.
Surgery can no longer be avoided, however, which could see him out of action between six and twelve weeks if the Telegraph's reporting is accurate.
The forward could therefore miss United's first meeting of the Premier League campaign with Liverpool on 23 October as well as some of the Champions League group stage, although he may be back in time for the Manchester Derby on 6 November.
After a gruelling season in which Rashford was visibly impacted by his persisting injury, the decision to undergo surgery is a prudent one on the part of the Englishman.
Rashford will be sorely missed in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 's squad, but the Norwegian's problems will be alleviated by the arrival of Jadon Sancho, who has the ability to fill-in in his absence.
The England star has endured a difficult few days after missing his penalty during the Euro 2020 final, but Manchester United supporters have rallied behind the club's academy graduate this week.
The priority for Rashford is to fix the ongoing problem, while Solskjaer will be reticent to rush him back into action too early.
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