Manchester United striker Robin Van Persie is set for a lenghty spell on the sidelines.

The Dutchman suffered a thigh strain while taking a corner in the Champions League win over Shakhtar Donetsk.

The 30-year-old has had a number of niggly injuries in recent months.

He played the full 90 minutes in last Saturday's defeat to Newcastle. But David Moyes had only intended to play him for an hour and admitted that fan pressure made him keep the striker on the pitch.

Van Persie stayed fit throughout the duration of last season but this summer's training regime under Moyes may have had a detrimental impact on a player who has a long history of injuries.

During the summer, Moyes had said of Van Persie: "We have overtrained him this week to try and make sure we build up his fitness.”

News of Man United's injury comes at a time when the Reds are languishing in 9th place in the Premier League.