Audio By Carbonatix
Manchester United have suffered a triple injury blow with defenders Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic and Rafael da Silva set for spells on the sidelines.
Ferdinand will be out for six weeks after being substituted with a hamstring injury during Sunday's 2-1 Premier League win over West Brom.
Vidic, who like Ferdinand was replaced during the game, is set to miss the next fortnight with a calf injury.
Rafael faces about 10 weeks out with a dislocated shoulder.
He appeared as a substitute in the 3-2 Community Shield win over Manchester City last weekend but sustained the injury in training.
Ferdinand's problem means he will be sidelined until the start of October and will miss England's upcoming Euro 2012 qualifiers against Bulgaria and Wales.
At club level, he will be out for United's next five games, which see them host Tottenham, Arsenal and Chelsea and travel to face Bolton and Stoke. Rafael, meanwhile, looks likely to miss additional matches against Liverpool and Norwich as well as the derby against Manchester City.
The injuries will lead to an inevitable reshuffle at the back. Patrice Evra, who missed Sunday's match, will come back in at left-back with Fabio likely to switch to the opposite flank and then two from Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and Jonny Evans playing in central defence.
And having had to also cope without winger Antonio Valencia and strikers Javier Hernandez and Michael Owen against the Baggies, United manager Sir Alex Ferguson said: "We've had a torrid time with injuries.
"Young Rafa has done his shoulder in training on Friday and will be out for 10 weeks. He's probably going to have an operation.
"Rio will be out for six weeks. Vida will have checks on Monday, we don't know if it's just a nerve or something, but he could be out for a couple of weeks."
Ferguson said on Friday that Mexico international Hernandez, who has concussion, is more than a week away from returning to training.
Former Arsenal defender Lee Dixon believes the loss of Ferdinand and Vidic will put more pressure on 20-year-old goalkeeper David de Gea, who was at fault for the West Brom goal in the first half.
Baggies new signing Shane Long equalised with a tame effort that beat the Spaniard after United had gone ahead through Wayne Rooney early in the match.
Speaking on Match of the Day 2, Dixon said: "With such a young goalkeeper you would want two experienced centre-backs in front of him to talk him through and that is obviously going to be a problem for the next few weeks.
"But the way Sir Alex is building his squad, he seems to be going for youth and sometimes you will get mistakes."
Ferguson defended his £18m summer signing and backed De Gea to adapt to the Premier League.
He said: "He is young. He will learn. He will come through.
"David's concentration cost him the goal. It was a slack goal to lose but it is an experience for the lad.
"I couldn't believe he never got a free-kick in the second-half. The aerial assault on him was ridiculous.
"It was the same when Peter Schmeichel came. They punished him in his first few games against Leeds and Wimbledon. They gave him a real torrid time.
"In the second half today David was targeted a bit. Not necessarily physically but there were a lot of challenges that should have been free-kicks but the referee decided to play on."
The champions clinched victory nine minutes from time when Ashley Young's low cross took a deflection off Steven Reid and beat Ben Foster in the West Brom goal.
Match of the Day 2 will be available to watch on the iPlayer from midnight on Tuesday
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Tags:
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Latest Stories
-
58% of Ghanaians happy with direction of country – IEA survey
5 minutes -
From soil to space to sea
6 minutes -
Bekwai roundabout to Santasi road to be completed by July – Contractor
8 minutes -
Beyond Algorithms: How the Visionary Prompt Framework can rewire banking and micro-lending in Africa
13 minutes -
Subriso residents plead for action as Manfo-Subriso road deteriorates
15 minutes -
Madam Florence Otabil aka Aba Simpa
24 minutes -
Register with CIHRM and be in good standing – Dr Eduku to HR practitioners
26 minutes -
Life sentence for man who killed Japan’s ex-PM Shinzo Abe
27 minutes -
US Justice department working on extradition request for former Finance Minister – Ayine
28 minutes -
Volta chiefs reaffirm commitment to working with Interior Ministry to safeguard peace
29 minutes -
Multidimensional Poverty drops to 21.9% in Ghana – GSS
38 minutes -
Chief Justice pays courtesy call on Finance Minister
40 minutes -
“I’m here to finish what I started” – Albert Amoah on Kotoko return
40 minutes -
Railway Workers Union calls for clearance of traders from Accra railway yard
42 minutes -
Ghana must shift from borrowed economic doctrines – Prof. Alagidede advises BoG, MoF
50 minutes
