Manchester United defender Ayden Heaven could face three to six weeks on the sidelines after he was stretchered off against Leicester City on Sunday, according to an injury expert. The 18-year-old centre-back conjured up a hugely impressive first-half performance in the 3-0 Premier League victory before suffering an almighty scare shortly after the break.
Heaven awkwardly fell while attempting to deter Patson Daka from getting on the end of a cross and instantly signalled his problem to the United bench. The sight of the January arrival getting carried off the King Power Stadium pitch spread worry across the fanbase, with other left-sided centre-backs Lisandro Martinez and Luke Shaw already out. But Heaven offered optimism when he was spotted walking out of the stadium in a protective boot but without crutches or any other support.
And Stephen Smith, founder and CEO of Kitman Labs, doesn't expect his absence to be long-term after analysing the footage of the injury.
Kitman Labs is the world's leading performance intelligence and technology company, specialising in injury welfare and performance analytics.
They are working with over 2000 other sporting organisations around the world, including the likes of the Premier League and NFL.
"It looks like it could be an ankle ligament sprain as his lower leg looks like it wobbles underneath him. Equally, it could be a Peroneal Tendon Strain," Smith told Express Sport.
"The peroneals protect the ankle from rolling, so he might have potentially strained one of them when he landed as the ankle started to wobble.
"He is holding his leg mid-shin, exactly where the muscle belly for the peroneal tendons is.
"Alternatively, it could be a minor leg fracture, hairline fracture, or a stress fracture. Again, given where he is holding his leg, this could indicate a fibular fracture."
He added: "Typically, with these types of injuries, it can vary between three to six weeks depending on the specific issue."
Supporters aired concern about the prospect of Heaven suffering the same fate as Shaw, who broke his leg early into his time at United - an injury that severely hampered the next decade of his career.
However, if Heaven's problem is as Smith expects, he doesn't expect any long-term issues to affect the teenage talent.
"Issues of this nature should not be a concern for his long-term prospects, but it does highlight how difficult it is to step up to regular first-team football at a young age," Smith explained.
"Data and insights will play a vital role in his rehab and return to play."
Heaven has made a seismic impact since his £1million winter switch from Arsenal, and he will be in line for more minutes upon his return to action.
He broke his silence by sharing a positive update on social media on Tuesday, suggesting that Smith's predicted timescale could be accurate.
Heaven wrote on his Instagram: "Thank you guys for all the support! I have read all your messages, and I'm doing really well and recovering fast."