Spain GK David De Gea Subbed off vs. Sweden After Suffering Apparent Injury

David De Gea left Spain's UEFA Euro 2020 qualifier against Sweden with an apparent injury on Tuesday, after the Manchester United goalkeeper limped off the pitch on the hour mark.

De Gea had been attempting a clearance when he pulled up and needed to be replaced by Chelsea's Kepa Arrizabalaga:

De Gea had already been beaten by Marcus Berg's 50th-minute header. Ironically, the stopper had turned the clock back to his best form by making a string of fine stops before injury struck.

De Gea's early withdrawal could be terrible news for United, who host bitter rivals Liverpool at Old Trafford on Sunday. Having the man between the sticks on song figures to be crucial if the struggling Red Devils are going to avoid a heavy defeat against the Premier League leaders, who have won eight out of eight to start the campaign.

 United do at least have a capable backup in the form of Argentina international Sergio Romero. He's performed well in some big games for the Old Trafford club, including the win over Ajax in the 2017 UEFA Europa League final.

Whoever is in goal on Sunday will need a strong performance from the United defence to help resist a prolific Liverpool forward line led by Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah. The pair have combined for nine goals in the league already, and Salah has returned to training following an ankle knock picked up in the 2-1 win over Leicester City earlier this month:

United will need centre-back Harry Maguire, the world's most expensive defender, to be at his best if De Gea isn't fit enough to start.

By contrast, Spain don't have a pressing need for the 28-year-old's services after a stoppage-time goal from Rodrigo Moreno earned La Roja a point in Sweden on Tuesday night and a place in next season's UEFA Euro 2020 tournament.

It means Arrizabalaga and many of the fringe players in Robert Moreno's squad can expect to be used for what are now essentially dead-rubber qualifiers against Malta and Romania in November.