Antonio Valencia undergoes operation on left foot

The right flank at Old Trafford will be barren.

Manchester United confirmed Tuesday that Antonio Valencia had an operation on his left foot to address an injury he suffered in the Manchester derby.

Before picking up the injury, Valencia was in the process of driving out Matteo Darmian, who United signed for a reported £12.9 million during the summer transfer window, as the Red Devils' first-choice right back. This, despite the fact Valencia is naturally a right midfielder. Darmian and Ashley Young have each started two fixtures in Valencia's absence.

At the international level, Valencia was omitted from a 27-man squad that Gustavo Quinteros, manager of Ecuador's national team, called up ahead of La Tri's World Cup qualifiers at home to Uruguay and away to Venezuela on Thursday and Tuesday, respectively.

Valencia was the engine behind Ecuador's historic 2-0 victory over Argentina at El Monumental in September, as he left La Albiceleste for dead, launching attack after attack with his blend of pace and footwork before eventually setting up the second goal, scored by Felipe Caicedo, by outrunning six opponents with the ball.

Teammates and supporters were quick to send their best to Valencia upon hearing of the operation. Most notably, Jefferson Montero uploaded a video to Twitter in which he wished his compatriot a speedy recovery.

It's the second time that Valencia has gone under the knife this year, as he underwent ankle surgery in May that was reportedly necessary to reportedly remove screws from his left ankle that were inserted when he sustained a broken leg in 2010. The procedure resulted in him missing the Copa America.