Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee was absent from the squad to face Man City in the Manchester derby.
Joshua Zirkzee was pictured in the tunnel before the Manchester derby.
Joshua Zirkzee was pictured in the tunnel before the Manchester derby(Image: 2026 Manchester United FC)
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Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee has suffered a small injury. Zirkzee was absent from the squad to face Manchester City on Saturday afternoon due to the knock he picked up against Brighton.
The Dutchman watched from the directors' box at Old Trafford as his team-mates secured a dominant 2-0 victory, which handed Michael Carrick a dream start to his interim role.
United limited City to one shot on target and had three goals disallowed due to offside to seal the most impressive Manchester derby victory since the stunning win in the 2024 FA Cup final at Wembley.
When Patrick Dorgu scored with 14 minutes remaining, Zirkzee was pictured celebrating in the directors' box alongside Matthijs de Ligt, Tom Heaton, Tyler Fredricson and Shea Lacey.
United sources have confirmed Zirkzee's absence was due to a knock he suffered against Brighton. The 24-year-old was captured telling a fan outside Old Trafford that he would be sidelined for "two weeks", and it remains to be seen whether the issue affects his future in the final two weeks of the January window.
Zirkzee was unhappy with his game time during Ruben Amorim's tenure, but Amorim viewed him as an important squad member.
Zirkzee has considered leaving United for the sake of minutes in January, and Italian club Roma have expressed an interest in signing him on loan for the remainder of the campaign.
Speaking last weekend, Roma director Frederic Massara told Sky Sports Italia: “There are still 15 days left of the transfer window and we’ll try to be ready for any opportunities, but we’ll have to see how the situation evolves."
When asked about Roma's interest in Zirkzee, he responded: "Man Utd said no quite clearly a couple of weeks ago and they have not changed their minds.”
The winter window closes on February 2, meaning Zirkzee should recover from his knock in time to leave United before the deadline, provided he is given the green light to depart, which is not guaranteed.
Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha, Amad and Zirkzee are the only senior forwards at United. Sesko was sidelined in November with a knee injury, while Cunha has missed three games this season.
Zirkzee has made 16 appearances for United in all competitions this term.