Van de Beek's cynical tackle that could rule Sarr out of AFCON wasn't a foul

Manchester United's 4-1 defeat at Watford was a forgettable afternoon for the Red Devils and their then-manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who was sacked less than 24 hours after the loss.

However, the Hornets were dealt a blow themselves when goalscorer Ismaila Sarr was forced off with an injury after a tackle from Donny van de Beek which infuriated the visiting players.

No free-kick was awarded following Van de Beek's strong challenge, but Sarr immediately clutched his leg and signalled for attention.

The 23-year-old missed the Hornets' trip to Leicester City over the weekend, and is now at risk of sitting out the Africa Cup of Nations after the turn of the year with both Watford and Senegal sweating on his fitness.

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Watford have confirmed Sarr is out of action with a knee ligament injury, with the player due to undergo a further scan in a month's time to determine the extent of the issue.

With Premier League players involved in AFCON due to join their national sides after the Boxing Day fixtures, the forward's chances of recovery in time for the tournament look extremely slim.

Senegal begin their campaign on January 10 against Zimbabwe, with Sarr an important player for Aliou Cisse's squad after scoring twice in the last international break, and The Athletic reports that he is "all but certain" to miss the competition.

"I didn't want to risk him, he runs a lot," Watford manager Claudio Ranieri told the club's website after withdrawing Sarr for Cucho Hernandez in the game against Man Utd.

At the time, Ranieri was reluctant to say anything before receiving feedback from the club's medical team, but it is now clear the record signing will be out of action for some time.

While Van de Beek looked to have got a toe on the ball when challenging Sarr by the touchline, Watford midfielder Moussa Sissoko immediately had words with the former Ajax man as Sarr spent time on the turf holding his left knee.

The injured player initially walked off the pitch, but it soon became clear he was unable to continue.

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Sarr and Van de Beek had both scored earlier in the game, which was tightly poised at 2-1 at the time the former was taken off.

However, Watford went a man up just moments later when Harry Maguire was sent off, and put some gloss on the scoreline with two late goals.

With Sarr spending time on the sidelines, Van de Beek has continued to feature for United under caretaker boss Michael Carrick, starting the win at Villarreal and coming off the bench in the Premier League draw with Chelsea.