Thriving Leeds United youngster likely out for regular season with operation possible after blow

United’s England under-21s international centre-back Charlie Cresswell is on loan at Championship promotion chasers Millwall and the defender maintained a strong run of consecutive starts in last weekend’s goalless draw at West Brom.

Cresswell was on course to complete a 12th league game in succession but the 20-year-old was injured during an aerial challenge in the closing stages and forced off with what proved to be a fractured eye socket.

The centre-back was missing from the matchday squad for Good Friday’s goalless draw at home to Luton Town, after which Lions boss Gary Rowett provided an injury update.“It’s a strange one,” Rowett told the South London Press. "I spoke to the medical team yesterday and they said if he has to have an operation it is going to be six weeks from the injury, or five weeks from the operation.

"If he has a mask then it is six weeks from the injury. So I said: ‘Well, it’s the same answer – so why didn’t you tell me that in the first place? It would’ve been a lot easier! Cressy, I think he has had blurred vision. If that doesn’t change in the next few days then he is probably going to have to have an operation. Without me putting too much of a full stop on it, that’s probably the best part of the season done for Cressy.”