Manchester United defender Phil Jones suffered a setback while training this week and he is expected to be out for a further 6-8 weeks. The 20-year-old tore his meniscus and he will be undergoing surgery. Here is a statement from the club in regards to the situation:

"Phil Jones has had surgery on a knee meniscus tear sustained in training that will require six to eight weeks of rehabilitation."

- Manchester United

Jones enjoyed a tremendous start to his United career last season as he was one of the standout players in the season's first-half. However, injuries have continually sidelined him in 2012 and this has obviously hindered his development. The injury is a blow for United -- especially when also considering that the versatile Chris Smalling is out until October -- as depth is a concern at the moment in defense. Currently, there are only three central-defenders that are fit (Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand, and Jonny Evans ) and form is a concern for each. In addition, Jones can provide cover at right-back and with him and Smalling unavailable, the only cover for Rafael is right-winger Antonio Valencia. Furthermore, Jones' versatility allows him to be an option in central-midfield as his energy and combativeness there is something the club does not have right now. The fixture list is about to get quite congested in the upcoming weeks -- depth is a worry right now.