Bastian Schweinsteiger could be ruled out for the rest of the season after suffering ligament damage while training with the German national team.

The player underwent scans which revealed that he might have suffered a major problem. He has certainly been ruled out for the upcoming games against England and Italy. Both friendly matches will now feature a replacement in the centre of the park. Joachim Loew may see this has a good way to assess the alternatives, but it remains to be seen Schweinsteiger will be fit for the Euro 2016.

As one of the most experienced players in the team, Schweinsteiger is considered irreplaceable by many. Unlike Michael Ballack in the past, the former Bayern Munich midfielder has the ability to win matches on his own and is not considered as a bad omen. Despite being one of the best German players of his generation, Ballack has long been involved only in lost finals. Thomas Müller means that Schweinsteiger may be able to return in time for the Euro 2016. However, this remains as a major blow for Manchester United, who just recently appeared to get back into the top four race with a 1-0 win against Manchester City on Sunday.

“Bastian is out of the internationals against England on Saturday and Italy on Tuesday. The MRI scan today found the captain suffered a partial tear of the medial ligament in his right knee after a tackle with an opponent at the end of training on Tuesday. Medical care will be provided by Manchester United in coordination with the medical department of the German team,” read a statement on the German FA’s site. It needs to be remembered that the player only recently missed around two months of action due to a knee problem. Schweinsteiger came to United in the summer.