Manchester United defender Noussair Mazraoui is set for a spell on the sidelines after undergoing a heart procedure, club sources have told ESPN.
Mazraoui was substituted at half-time of United’s 0-0 draw with Aston Villa on Sunday and subsequently pulled out of the Morocco squad ahead of the international break after complaining of heart palpitations.
He has since undergone a corrective procedure and is expected to be out of action for a number of weeks.
Mazraoui’s condition is “relatively common,” according to club sources, while the operation has been described as “minor.”
Sources have clarified that it was not an emergency situation and that Mazraoui is expected to make a full recovery.
It is not the first time during his career that Mazraoui has been affected by a heart condition. He was sidelined for three months while playing for Bayern Munich in 2023 after suffering from heart-related complications due to COVID-19.
The full-back tested positive for COVID-19 during the World Cup in Qatar and experienced problems during his holiday after the tournament.
Bayern said the problem was due to “a mild inflammation in his pericardium.” After undergoing regular tests, he returned to action in March 2023.
United were aware of the condition that he had at Bayern but that this is a different condition.
Mazraoui has made 10 appearances for United since his summer move from Germany. United are not putting a firm timescale on his return and his absence will be another blow to under-fire manager Erik ten Hag.
Kobbie Mainoo, Alejandro Garnacho and Amad Diallo have all had to withdraw from international duty because of injuries while Harry Maguire is set to be sidelined for weeks after picking up an injury against Villa.
Ten Hag is already short of full-backs because of ongoing injury issues with Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia. Shaw hasn’t played for United since February but there is hope he will be able to return after the current international break.
Malacia has not featured for United for more than a year as he continues his recovery from a knee operation.