Manchester United is hopeful that Matheus Cunha will avoid missing any games following his hamstring injury sustained during the Premier League match against Burnley! He was forced off the field before halftime and therefore withdrew from Brazil’s squad for the current international break, now focusing on recovery training at Carrington.

At the moment of injury, Cunha fell holding his left thigh despite minimal contact with the opponent. After receiving treatment, he was quickly substituted and headed directly to the locker room. However, upon leaving Old Trafford, the Brazilian forward, who was signed for £62.5 million, appeared relaxed and moved freely without crutches, later stating he would "be back soon."

Over the weekend, the former "Wolf King" updated his recovery progress on social media, revealing he can now ride a bicycle in the gym—a movement that engages the hamstring, suggesting the injury is not severe. Cunha captioned the post: "Time flies." Accompanying the text were clock and explosion emojis, hinting at a strong comeback soon. He also shared a photo posing with a wristband, expressing in Portuguese: "Obrigado pela moral (Thank you for the support)."

Cunha revealed he was watching the UFC Ultimate Fighting Championship in Paris when injured; if his condition had been worse, doctors would not have allowed him to travel, which indirectly indicates his recovery is going well.

It is worth mentioning that several Premier League players suffered hamstring injuries before the international break, including Cunha, Manchester City's Shelkey, and Chelsea's Liam Draper, with their conditions reportedly more severe than that of the 26-year-old Brazilian international.

Shelkey’s thigh injury will sideline him for up to two months, ruling him out of the home game against Manchester United. Meanwhile, in Chelsea’s match against Fulham, young Draper was forced off early due to a hamstring injury; post-match, coach Enzo Maresca revealed the forward will miss at least six to eight weeks of action. Reports also suggest his injury might be more serious than initially expected.

It remains unclear whether Cunha will be fit to participate in next week’s Manchester derby against United, but the chances look promising. Injury expert Stephen Smith, who partners with the Premier League on injury prevention and sports performance analysis, has provided an assessment of Cunha’s condition.

"Cunha’s injury is in the same area as Draper’s. Based on what we’ve seen and heard, Cunha left the pitch moving freely, so we believe his injury is not too severe," Smith explained. "A Grade 1 hamstring strain usually sidelines players for two to three weeks. This level of injury typically causes pain and swelling but involves no or minimal muscle fiber damage, meaning only a very small portion of the muscle is affected or inflamed. A Grade 2 injury involves minor fiber tears, i.e., slight muscle tearing; Grade 3 is a complete muscle rupture."

Following the injury, Cunha did not visit a hospital but immediately withdrew from the Brazil squad, opting out of World Cup qualifiers to stay in Manchester for rehabilitation.

Smith analyzed: "Manchester United absolutely needed to keep him in the city during the international break. If they knew he couldn’t play, there would be no reason to send him so far away. It was crucial to send him straight to Carrington’s rehab center where he could start treatment immediately. Clearly, the club wants him to play a key role this season. This setup allows the medical team to begin his recovery training right away and also helps improve his match fitness and understanding of the team’s tactical and technical approach. Amorelin will likely continue developing him through face-to-face coaching."

If Cunha is available to play, then with Manchester City missing Shelkey, the balance of the Manchester derby could shift dramatically. Amorelin will have a better chance to maintain his winning streak against Guardiola, potentially handing him a third consecutive defeat!