'Too soon' - Ella Toone set to miss Man Utd's League Cup final date with Chelsea as latest injury update also rules England star out of Lionesses first camp of 2026

Skinner confirmed in January that Toone was suffering from "a bone stress response in her hip" that would rule her out for six to eight weeks. If the 26-year-old could be back for the optimistic end of that timeline, it would see her return to action during the first week of March, ahead of the League Cup final with Chelsea on March 15.

However, Skinner's latest update on United's No.7 suggests that will not be the case. Speaking in a press conference on Saturday, he was asked if Toone was a doubt for the League Cup final and responded: "Potentially, yes. It probably comes a bit too soon."

It's not just a blow to Man Utd because Toone will miss the cup final, but also because of some of the other big games that she is also likely to be absent for.

Fortunately, United's massive 3-0 win over Atletico Madrid in Spain on Thursday night means the second leg of that Champions League knockout play-off this coming Thursday isn't as pivotal a game as it might have been. However, there is also a massive FA Cup tie against Chelsea to come next weekend which Toone will miss.

The Red Devils will then face West Ham and Everton after the League Cup final, both games that are important for the push to secure Champions League qualification for next week and both games that Toone also seems set to be ruled out of, as Skinner picked out the Manchester derby on March 29 as a potential date for her return. "I would imagine we're aiming for around the Manchester City game," he said. "Hopefully we can welcome her back then."

That means, should United progress to the Champions League quarter-finals as expected after that big win in Madrid, Toone would also be a doubt for the first leg of that tie, to be played against Bayern Munich on March 24 or 25.

It's not just United who are set to be negatively impacted by Toone's continued absence, either. England's first camp of 2026 begins later this month and features the Lionesses' first qualifiers for the 2027 Women's World Cup, against Ukraine on March 3 and Iceland on March 7. However, this latest update on Toone's injury timeline all-but-rules her out of that international break, which is a blow to Sarina Wiegman's side.

Wiegman will name her squad for those games on Tuesday morning and she will need to assess how she wants her attacking options to look without Toone and also seemingly Beth Mead, who has suffered a hairline fracture to her shin, it was confirmed this week. England will be heavy favourites in both games but cannot afford to slip up given they are in a group with Spain and only the group winner will qualify automatically for the tournament in Brazil.

Toone is the headline absentee for United at the moment and the squad does have greater depth to deal with injuries like that after a strong January transfer window, but it is being tested at the moment. Flying full-back Anna Sandberg limped off with a calf injury in Madrid that will be assessed over the next few days, while Sweden forward Fridolina Rolfo missed that game and Sunday's league clash with London City Lionesses, the latter of which Melvine Malard was also a surprise absentee in.

Winger Leah Galton remains sidelined because of a back injury that has not allowed her to play at all in 2026, Celin Bizet is another forward currently out of action as she prepares to welcome her first child and then there is the fact that Hinata Miyazawa will head off to the Asian Cup after the FA Cup meeting with Chelsea. That tournament ends on March 21, likely ruling the Japan international out of the League Cup final and making it a push for her to be back for that potential Champions League quarter-final first leg, granted the Nadeshiko perform to expectations.