Manchester United midfielder Marouane Fellaini could be out for six weeks if he undergoes surgery on long-standing wrist injury

Fellaini is currently out of action due to a back injury but manager David Moyes has admitted the midfielder could use the time off to have his injured wrist corrected

Marouane Fellaini could be set for a spell on the sidelines should he undergo surgery on his wrist (GETTY IMAGES)

Manchester United could be without midfielder Marouane Fellaini for longer than they anticipated should he fail to recover from his back injury that has kept him out of action since the beginning of December.

If the Belgian fails to show signs of an improvement, manager David Moyes could decide to allow Fellaini to undergo surgery on his injured wrist, which United had hoped could be delayed until the end of the season.

Given his spell on the sidelines, Moyes has admitted that they could use the opportunity to have the wrist injury corrected, although it would rule the 26-year-old out for another six weeks.

Speaking ahead of his side’s Premier League match against West Ham, Moyes said: “Fellaini has an injury to his back, which we hoped might have healed up but it hasn't.

“I am going to get another scan and if it hasn't healed up then I might need to take the decision to get his wrist done as well.

“We hoped his back would be better in 10 days but he is still feeling it. It's a muscle that has separated from the bone in his back and that is what is causing the problem.

“We're not going to say we're doing that [wrist operation] yet.”

Fellaini has not featured since the 1-0 defeat against both his and Moyes’s former side Everton, although he suffered the wrist injury in the Champions League victory over Shakhtar Donetsk in October.