Manchester United's Harry Maguire has been sidelined for the remainder of the Premier League season due to injury.

The defender sustained a muscle problem during training, ruling him out of the team's final four league matches against Crystal Palace, Arsenal, Newcastle United, and Brighton.

Despite this setback, Maguire remains optimistic about his availability for the FA Cup final against Manchester City on May 25.

Additionally, he hopes to be fully fit for England's campaign at the upcoming European Championship, which kicks off against Serbia on June 16.

Maguire's absence adds to the defensive woes of manager Erik ten Hag, who is already missing Lisandro Martínez, Victor Lindelöf, Raphaël Varane, and Willy Kambwala.

Jonny Evans, who has been out for nearly two months due to injury, has returned to training ahead of the match against Crystal Palace.

With several central defenders unavailable, Ten Hag has deployed midfielder Casemiro in the center-back position in recent games.

Despite being out of contention for next season's Champions League, United remains eager to secure points to ensure qualification for European competitions.

However, recent wins for Newcastle and Chelsea have left United in eighth place in the Premier League table, jeopardizing their chances of qualifying for the Europa League or Europa Conference League.

The FA Cup remains United's avenue to Europa League qualification, with victory in the tournament securing their spot.