Eric Bailly Injury: Manchester United Defender Injures Knee vs. Crystal Palace

Manchester United centre-back Eric Bailly picked up a knee injury during the team's 2-1 win over Crystal Palace on Wednesday.

Ben Dinnery of ESPN FC revealed the nature of the Ivory Coast international's problem:

The defender suffered the issue in the first half of the game and sought to play on through the pain barrier. However, after the interval, he pulled up chasing after the ball and was replaced by Matteo Darmian.

Any layoff will represent a major disappointment for the 22-year-old. Not only was the game at Selhurst Park his first Premier League start since returning from a separate knee injury, but he'll be keen to represent his country at the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations in January.

The former Villarreal defender only moved to Old Trafford in the summer, but he immediately became a key part of manager Jose Mourinho's back line, starting United's first nine games of the 2016-17 Premier League season.

He looked instantly comfortable partnering either Chris Smalling or Daley Blind in the middle of United's back four, and Goal's Peter Staunton said the Ivorian didn't "put a foot wrong" in the opening stages of the campaign.

Bailly's comfort on the ball and impeccable defensive technique have made him a huge asset already at United, a club where defensive inconsistency has been a problem for some time.

While Bailly is a colossal presence in defence, Mourinho has stumbled upon a solid partnership at centre-back in recent weeks, with Phil Jones and Marcos Rojo working well as a duo.

Nevertheless, Mourinho and United will be eager for Bailly to recover as soon as possible so that he can return to the starting XI.