Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has indicated Dean Henderson will now stay at the club after Tom Heaton sustained a calf injury.

Heaton, 37, is expected to be sidelined for the rest of the month and Henderson is United’s only other senior goalkeeper after new signing Andre Onana.

United have held discussions about selling Henderson to Nottingham Forest, who have been tentative about an immediate permanent move as the ‘keeper is recovering from thigh surgery.

Henderson, 26, had expected to rejoin Forest after spending last season on loan at the City Ground but his rehabilitation, as well as Heaton’s setback, is set to leave him marooned at United.

“He was always in my mind,” Ten Hag said of Henderson, “so I think we have a strong keeper group with Onana, Henderson, Heaton.”

Ten Hag is insistent on having three experienced ‘keepers after the issues he encountered in his final season at Ajax. Onana was suspended for a doping ban, Maarten Stekelenburg suffered a season-ending hip injury in August, rookie Jay Gorter spent two months out with a thumb injury and the then-38-year-old Remko Pasveer was drafted into the side.

Henderson has not played since January 21 and he underwent surgery in early May. The England international travelled with the United squad on their pre-season tour squad of the United States but was not match-fit.

The prospect of spending another season at United is bound to be anathema to Henderson, who said he was “fuming” that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s reneged on a pledge to install him as first-choice in 2021.

Solskjaer had informed Henderson of his intention that summer but Henderson contracted Covid-19 in pre-season and was laid low until September. When he was match-fit, Solskjaer refused to drop David de Gea and Henderson only played three times in the 2021-22 season.

With the European Championship next summer, Henderson’s chances of earning a recall to the England squad will be significantly reduced if he remains at United.

United have already sold back-up goalie Nathan Bishop to Sunderland and have accepted a €9million fee from Bayer Leverkusen for Matej Kovar. Academy stopper Radek Vitek is also recovering from a minor injury.

United agreed a fee with Urawa Red Diamonds to sign Japanese goalkeeper Zion Suzuki but the 20-year-old rejected them in favour of moving to Belgian side STVV.