Dean Henderson is facing an uncertain future at Manchester United after it emerged the goalkeeper requires surgery that could keep him sidelined for an additional three months.
Henderson, who is on loan at Nottingham Forest, hasn’t played a Premier League match since January. The 26-year-old suffered a thigh injury in a 2-0 win against Leicester City, hurting himself when taking a goal-kick.
Scans showed that Henderson suffered a grade two tear in his thigh and he was expected to be back playing six weeks later, while Forest brought in former Real Madrid stopper Keylor Navas on loan from Paris Saint-Germain as a replacement on deadline day.
But Henderson was out for longer than first feared, suffering a setback in his recovery. Forest manager Steve Cooper confirmed in April: “He's not back in training. He's not really any closer. He's still in the medical room, unfortunately, so we'll see where that takes us in the next week or so.
“I hope he will play again this season, but I don't know, to be honest. It's a bit inconclusive on that, so we'll see.”
Now, the Manchester Evening News reports that Henderson is facing an extra three months out injured in a hammer blow that could deny him a move away from Old Trafford in the summer transfer window.
United are in discussions with David de Gea over extending his contract in a move which should cement the Spaniard’s position as Erik ten Hag’s first-choice goalkeeper going into next season.
Henderson, therefore, would be looking to secure first-team football elsewhere while the Red Devils would also be open to that outcome, given they could command a decent fee for the one-cap England international.
However, the prospect of a permanent move to another club has been thrown into doubt because of the timeframe around his latest setback. The transfer window closes on September 1, leaving Henderson almost no time to prove his fitness to potential suitors.
The report adds that Ten Hag contacted Henderson via a video call in January to discuss the idea of recalling him from Forest when Martin Dubravka returned to Newcastle from his loan at United. But Henderson made it clear he had no intentions of being the backup option to De Gea.
The same month, Henderson was denied permission to play against United for Forest in the Carabao Cup semi-final. The former Sheffield United loanee eventually missed the tie through injury.
Henderson’s long-term future at United has been uncertain since he fell out with former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ahead of the 2021/22 season. Solskjaer promised Henderson he would be the club’s No.1 going into the campaign but changed his mind when the player caught Covid–19.
He would go on to make just three appearances for United last term, with his most recent appearance for his parent club coming in an FA Cup tie against Middlesbrough in February 2022.
Henderson is under contract until 2025 with an additional year’s option in the club’s favour. United are planning to sign a new goalkeeper this summer to provide competition for De Gea, who has come under scrutiny at times this season but has more clean sheets than any other Premier League goalkeeper.
