Eric Bailly Injury Update: Manchester United Defender Ruled Out for 2 Months

Manchester United fans received some bad news on Tuesday, as star defender Eric Bailly announced he'll be out for two months with a knee injury he suffered in the 4-0 Premier League loss against Chelsea on Sunday.

The Ivory Coast international announced the news via Facebook:

Bailly joined the Red Devils from Villarreal during the summer and quickly emerged as the team's top defensive option. In his absence, manager Jose Mourinho will have to find a new partner for Chris Smalling. 

Daley Blind and Marcos Rojo are the favourites to move into a central role.

According to MailOnline Sport, Bailly suffered ligament damage in Sunday's clash, and he immediately knew it was serious. Per the club's official Twitter account, Mourinho informed reporters the defender had told him it was bad.

Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images

The news is a big blow for United's top-four hopes, and the timing couldn't be much worse. With the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations kicking off on Jan. 14, there's a good chance Bailly won't feature for the Red Devils until February.

As shared by OptaJoe, his vision and positioning are two traits United will miss badly:

Smalling played arguably his worst match in a long time against Chelsea, making several key errors that led to goals. The England international should rebound from his horror showing, however, and lead a Red Devils defence that ranked among the Premier League's best without Bailly last year.