Ibrahimovic’s debut season in English football was cut short in April 2017 when he suffered a serious knee injury which kept him out for seven months.

The 36-year-old then confounded his doctors by making a quicker than expected return in November.

But after six appearances, Ibrahimovic suffered a reoccurrence of the knee problem and was ruled out for a month by Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho.

Worryingly, Ibrahimovic’s injury was described as “a massive problem” by Mourinho and United are said to be considering their long-terms options.

According to Yahoo Sport, United have three strategies for replacing Ibrahimovic.

The first is a move for Italy international Belotti, who is said to be top of United’s transfer wishlist. 

This season, Belotti has scored seven goals in 21 appearances for club and country.

The next alternative is to play Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford more regularly as strikers, with the report saying the funds saved will allow Mourinho to strengthen in other areas, in particular out wide where Paris Saint-Germain’s Lucas Moura is a target.

And the final option is to find a young striker who will be an understudy to Lukaku.

The report claims this would allow Mourinho to work and mould the player into his style but any deal is dependent on how much he has left to spend given his desire to bolster other areas.