Marouane Fellaini out Until Late March After Surgery on Knee Injury

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has confirmed midfielder Marouane Fellaini had surgery on his knee on Saturday, with the club targeting a return before the end of March.

David McDonnell of the Mirror shared the news:

The Belgium international came on as a substitute in the 2-0 loss against Tottenham Hotspur on January 31 but was withdrawn again after just seven minutes.

beIN Sports football anchor Richard Keys was convinced it had nothing to do with his performance:

While Fellaini has often been the subject of jokes for his lack of grace or range during his time at Old Trafford, he has quietly enjoyed something of a career resurgence under Mourinho.

The former Everton man featured in 28 Premier League contests last year and generally did well, and he started the 2017-18 campaign in solid form.

Injuries have held him back this season, however, and a ligament issue even forced him to return to Belgium to recover in October, per Ciaran Kelly of the Manchester Evening News. 

United have depth in the midfield areas thanks to the emergence of Scott McTominay as a viable Premier League starter, but Mourinho seems to trust Fellaini more than some of his other options, including Ander Herrera. 

He even suggested Fellaini sign a new contract―he'll be a free agent this summer―before the club learned the extent of his injury, per Sky Sports.

Given his versatility―he presents a great aerial target to bring on later in matches and can defend in front of the back line if he has to―Mourinho will undoubtedly hope Fellaini returns in a hurry ahead of the busy final months of the campaign.