Van de Beek suffers MAJOR injury as his downward spiral goes from bad to worse

Former Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek suffered what looks to be a 'serious' injury in Girona's clash with Athletic Bilbao on Tuesday evening.

When the Dutchman signed for the Red Devils in the summer of 2020 for a fee worth close to £40million, there's little chance he - or anyone for that matter - thought he'd play as little as he did.

He moved to Manchester as one of the most highly-sought after midfielders in Europe who had been nominated for the Ballon d'Or a year earlier.

But what he described as a 'dream' move ultimately turned into a nightmare.

After scoring on his debut for the club against Crystal Palace, Van de Beek went on to make just four Premier League starts in his first season under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer before again struggling to cement a place in the team in his second.

Then came a loan move to Everton, one blighted by injuries, as United set about appointing Erik ten Hag as their new manager.

With Van de Beek's spell on Merseyside over, many saw confirmation of his former Ajax manager's move to Old Trafford as a huge opportunity for the Dutchman to announce himself at the club.

He was indeed afforded more opportunities in the 2022-23 season under Ten Hag but a serious knee injury suffered against Bournemouth ended his campaign - and effectively his United career.

The following season Van de Beek made just two appearances before being shipped out to Eintracht Frankfurt where he endured another disappointing loan spell.

He eventually secured a permanent move to LaLiga's Girona last summer for an initial £420,600 - a far-cry from the fee he joined the Red Devils for four years earlier.

The midfielder seemed to be rebuilding his career in Catalonia last term, making 35 appearances for the club in all competitions. An injury at the end of campaign eventually ended his season.

He returned to the fold just a week or so ago after undergoing surgery, coming off the bench for eight minutes against Celta Vigo.

Coach Michael Sanchez then threw Van de Beek in from the start yesterday at Athletic Bilbao - his first start for the club in some five months. However in a heart-breaking turn of events, the 27-year-old was forced off with what looked to be a serious injury in just the 33rd minute.

He went off clutching the back of his ankle after going down off the ball before being helped off the pitch by Girona's fitness coaches.

In the latest blow to Van de Beek after a torrid few years, Girona manager Sanchez admitted post-match that 'it looks bad'.

'We'll see after the tests, but it could be the worst news of the match,' he said, according to Mundo Deportivo.

The publication report that, according to sources, Van de Beek has suffered a 'serious injury to his Achilles'.

Girona went on to draw the game in the Basque country 1-1 after a difficult start to the season. The LaLiga side, who competed in the Champions League this season, are yet to win a league game.

How long Van de Beek's injury will keep him out for is yet to be determined.