Kevin Strootman Manchester United Move Stunted Following News of Surgery Setback

Any hopes Manchester United may have held in adding Roma general Kevin Strootman to their ranks this winter appear to have been ruled out after it surfaced the midfielder is set for more surgery.

Friday's operation will not be as serious as the anterior cruciate ligament procedure he underwent last March, however, as Strootman took to his official Twitter account to explain his situation:

Jack Wilson of the Daily Star describes the setback as a "huge blow" for the Red Devils, although their chances of prising Strootman away from Rome this winter already looked slim.

United manager Louis van Gaal may still look to cut a summer deal for his former Netherlands charge, however, with Strootman linked with an Old Trafford transfer since his days at PSV.

Peter Dejong/Associated Press

Last year's serious knee injury prevented the Red Devils from making any summer swoop for the Dutchman and it appears this latest issue will restrict the club from making good on any plans they might have had for a winter bid.

Signing Strootman in his current state would be a risk Manchester United aren't willing to take, with Squawka going into detail regarding how little of the 2014-15 campaign he's seen thus far:

Van Gaal's side took a risk in signing Radamel Falcao on loan last summer, knowing that he had only recently come back from his own ACL injury at the time.

It's largely regarded as one of the most common injuries which can affect careers in the long term, and before pursuing Strootman further, the English giants will undoubtedly want to see more of the anchor back in action.

Ivan Sekretarev/Associated Press

However, Friday's surgery will also explore the ligament in Strootman's knee to examine if there is any unseen damage which could inhibit his return to full fitness.

As Tancredi Palmeri of beIN Sports states, the Giallorossi star could be set for a longer period on the sidelines depending on the diagnosis, which could in turn affect United's opinion of whether or not to chase Strootman:

At his peak, Strootman sits alongside the elite in his position, a tough-tackling midfield metronome who created 47 chances in 25 Serie A appearances last season, per Squawka, while maintaining a pass accuracy of 88 percent.

Depending on how the Red Devils priorities shift in the months to come, they may yet switch their attentions to former academy member Paul Pogba, who Sam Tighe recently discussed as a potential buy:

Right now, it seems safe to say any move for Strootman is off the cards, but Van Gaal may begin to consider his future interest in the Oranje playmaker, too.

Roma boss Rudi Garcia will await the result of Friday's surgery to get an accurate estimation on how long he'll once again be without his leader, with United equally anxious to learn of his 2015 prospects.