Manchester United midfielder Marouane Fellaini has undergone a knee operation on Saturday morning but the Belgian isn’t ruled out for the rest of the season.

The Belgian sustained a knee injury earlier this season while on international duty and has been in and out since then. Making his return in January, the towering Belgian only managed three substitute appearances before being introduced as a substitute in the 2-0 defeat against Tottenham at Wembley. But with him already sustaining a slight niggle, he was subbed off just seven minutes after his introduction.

Speaking after the game, Mourinho mentioned that Fellaini struggled with a problem in his left knee and was then dropped against Huddersfield as the problem was affecting the same knee but not in the same location. The Portuguese went on to quote that the problem was an external one rather than an internal affair. However, he did confirm that the midfielder is set to miss a few weeks of action.

Speaking of Fellaini’s injury and a date of a potential return, Mourinho marked that the Belgian is not expected to be out for the rest of the season although he has undergone a surgery, as it is just a “small intervention in his external meniscus.”

“He had surgery this (Saturday) morning,” Mourinho told Manchester United website. “I don’t want to be very specific. I prefer the doctor give you some information officially that we can put on our website. But it is not the end of the season. Not at all.

“It’s a small intervention in his external meniscus and I want to believe that, by the end of the March, he can be back. If he is back by the end of March, I hope we have a big April and a big May and we are still to play in more than one competition.”

Marouane Fellaini has entered the final six months of his current Manchester United contract and although Mourinho has revealed that he wants Fellaini to stay, there are high chances that the Belgian might make a move. And as far as the injuries are concerned, the 30-year-old has joined the likes of Eric Bailly and Zlatan Ibrahimovic as long-term absentees.

The former (Bailly) received an ankle procedure back in November, while the latter picked up a knock on his knee after making seven appearances in all competitions. Speaking of the duo’s potential return, the manager has already quoted that they might come back in United’s first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Sevilla.