Fellaini has knee ligament damage, says Belgium coach

Manchester-United's-Marouane-Fellaini-greets-the-audience-at-the-end-of-the-Champions-League-group-A-soccer-match-between-Manchester-United-and-Basel,-at-the-Old-Trafford-stadium-in-Manchester,-Tuesday,-Sept.-12,-2017.-(Frank-Augstein/AP)

Manchester United's Marouane Fellaini greets the audience at the end of the Champions League group A soccer match between Manchester United and Basel, at the Old Trafford stadium in Manchester, Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2017. (Frank Augstein/AP)

Belgium coach Roberto Martinez says Marouane Fellaini has sustained ligament damage in his left knee and has left the national team to return to Manchester United.

Fellaini was hurt in the first half of Belgium’s 4-3 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina in a World Cup qualifier in Sarajevo on Saturday.

The injury to Fellaini will be a blow to United, whose midfield is already without Paul Pogba because of a long-term hamstring problem.

United visits fierce rival Liverpool on Saturday in what is likely to be its toughest match of the English Premier League so far.

Speaking on Monday before Belgium takes on Cyprus in their final World Cup qualifier on Tuesday, Martinez didn’t give a timeframe for Fellaini’s absence.

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