Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has confirmed that Nemanja Matic will miss the start of the new Premier League season after undergoing an operation for an abdominal injury picked up during the summer World Cup in Russia. Matic was one of the club’s ever-presents during the previous campaign but unfortunately, the stress of playing continuously has had an impact on his body.

Speaking to the club’s official website, Mourinho confirmed that Matic should miss the start of the campaign as a result of a surgery, he said:“Matic has had surgery. Yes, of course [he is out for the start of the season]. I don’t know how long he will be out for.Matic arrived from the World Cup holiday, direct to surgery because something happened in the World Cup. He has had surgery. He is out for the start of the season. He came from the World Cup with the injury and the time he had to rest on holiday was not enough to resolve the problem.”

With Matic’s injury, Mourinho has some key decisions to make at the heart of the club’s midfield with Ander Herrera and Fred presently being the only senior midfielders available for pre-season duty. Moreover, the latter has barely featured for United since joining them earlier in the summer and Mourinho may choose to gamble with one of his young guns for the curtain raiser.

Andreas Pereira has been one player, who has caught the Portuguese’s eye during the pre-season tour of the United States and the midfielder could get some gametime from the off with several first-team players missing. Paul Pogba and Marouane Fellaini are currently among the high-profile midfielders, who are on vacation following the World Cup but they should at least report for training before the league opener versus Leicester City.