Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford insists he will play again this season despite manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer suggesting otherwise.
Rashford suffered a double stress fracture of his back against Wolves in United's FA Cup third-round replay, with Solskjaer originally revealing he will face weeks out.
Reports then claimed the England international was unlikely to be fit for up to three months before Solskjaer revealed on Tuesday that the Red Devils may have seen the last of their top scorer in 2019-20.
Watch every Premier League game exclusively on DAZN (start your free trial)
When asked by reporters whether Rashford would play again this season, the Norwegian coach said: "Marcus is going to get as long as he needs to get fit. We are not going to risk him when he's had an injury."
That sparked fear among United supporters given Rashford has been enjoying the best season of his young career during an otherwise turbulent campaign for the 20-time English champions.
The 22-year-old has scored 19 goals in 31 appearances across all competitions this term, including 14 in the Premier League that had put him firmly in the race to win the Golden Boot for the first time.
His spell on the sidelines is set to ruin that dream, but Rashford himself has spoken out on his fitness, and he believes he will still play a role in United's push for a top-four finish in the Premier League.
"I’ll be back before the season ends to hopefully help my team claim top four," he wrote on Twitter in response to a message from the Premier League.
Thanks guys, I’ll be back before the season ends to hopefully help my team claim top 4 👊🏾 https://t.co/JhTUi8yzLO
— Marcus Rashford (@MarcusRashford) January 22, 2020
Rashford's comments will also allay the fears of England supporters, with Solskjaer's comments raising concerns that the forward could miss this summer's European Championship.
Gareth Southgate has seen three of his main striker options pick up injuries in recent weeks, with Harry Kane out until April after undergoing hamstring surgery while Tammy Abraham picked up an ankle injury playing for Chelsea against Arsenal on Tuesday.
While it is not known how severe Abraham's injury is, Southgate may have been left with just Raheem Sterling, Jadon Sancho and Callum Wilson as fit forward players from his recent squads ahead of March's friendlies against Italy and Denmark.
Southampton star Danny Ings, who has matched Rashford's tally of 14 Premier League goals this season, is being tipped for a call-up while calls have been made for the league's top scorer, Jamie Vardy, to be coerced out of international retirement.
United, meanwhile, are considering their options in the final days of the January transfer window as they look to find a short-term solution to cover for Rashford's absence.
Anthony Martial, Daniel James and Mason Greenwood remain as the club's only senior attacking options, though Martial accounts for 130 of their 170 combined Premier League appearances.