• Premier League

Jones out injured for up to a month

Manchester United defender Phil Jones has been ruled out for up to a month with a torn hamstring, Louis van Gaal has confirmed.

Jones hobbled off in the second half of England's 2-0 win in Switzerland on Monday and adds to Van Gaal's selection issues ahead of Sunday's visit of Queens Park Rangers.

While United will welcome back Rafael, Luke Shaw and Ander Herrera, they will be without Ashley Young while Chris Smalling is only just returning to full training with the reserve team.

Phil Jones picked up his injury on England duty © Getty Images

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Marcos Rojo is available after receiving his work permit but while Shaw, who had a hamstring problem, could also make his debut, Van Gaal said he the teenager is not available to play the full 90 minutes.

Michael Carrick is making a swifter-than-expected recovery from his ankle problem, while youngsters Sam Johnstone, Reece James, James Wilson and Jesse Lingard are all absent, along with Marouane Fellaini.

"Fellaini is not ready. Carrick is not ready but he has run for the first time on grass - unbelievable after eight weeks," Van Gaal told a news conference.

"Johnstone [has] elbow problems, Smalling is not fit enough but he shall train [on Saturday] with the second squad for the first time. Tomorrow is his first group training session.

"Wilson is not ready yet, James is injured, Jones is injured, you have seen that with the national team, Lingard and Young also injured. So that is nine players and when I left with the international week it was 10.

"Fellaini is [out for] longer than a month, Jones maybe three weeks or a month but that is very difficult to say."

Young and James have been the players used at left wing-back so far this season in Shaw's absence but Van Gaal said he is not in peak condition yet. "He is fit enough to play minutes but not a whole game so there is a difference," he said.

Van Gaal could give United bows to four summer signings - Rojo, Shaw, Daley Blind and Radamel Falcao - and a home debut to a fifth, Angel Di Maria.

He also said he had no problem picking a team when his forward options include Falcao, Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney.

"For a coach it is always easy because he can decide and he decides what he sees. I don't have any worries about that. I have done that already for more than 25 years," Van Gaal added.

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