Manchester United striker Robin van Persie is set to miss one month after suffering ankle ligament damage during last weekend’s 2-1 defeat at Swansea, according to various reports out of England,

Last Saturday, the 31-year-old forward left the Liberty Stadium on crutches while wearing a protective boot. He appeared to injure himself late in the contest after falling awkwardly while putting over a cross.

The Dutch international was visibly uncomfortable during the closing minutes but was unable to be removed from the match because manager Louis van Gaal had already used his three substitutions.

While the striker hasn’t been in scintillating form this season, Van Persie is United’s leading scorer with 10 goals in 24 Premier League appearances.

With the club in the midst of a tight battle for the fourth and final Champions League position, fans will be hoping Wayne Rooney, Radamel Falcao and James Wilson can step up and deliver goals during Van Persie’s absence.

United’s next five fixtures will prove crucial towards the club’s top four and FA Cup aspirations.

The Red Devils host Sunderland this weekend, followed by a trip to Newcastle, mixed in with an FA Cup quarter-final against Arsenal (home); then back to the Premier League for matches against Tottenham (home) and Liverpool (away).

Programming note: Manchester United vs. Sunderland will be shown LIVE on Saturday morning at 10:00am EST on NBC Sports Network and NBC Sports Live Extra.