Nemanja Vidic is unlikely to feature when Manchester United attempt to bounce back from their Champions League disappointment against Wolves at Old Trafford on Saturday.
The Serbia defender fell awkwardly under a challenge from Basel striker Marco Streller in the 2-1 defeat against Basel in Switzerland on Wednesday and manager Sir Alex Ferguson has said he fears his captain suffered medial ligament damage. Anyone looking at the Premier League betting will be wondering how long he will be out for.
The loss of the 30-year-old former Spartak Moscow stalwart added to a hugely disappointing night for the Premier League champions.
The three-time winners of the competition only needed a draw in Switzerland to get out of Group C but failed to book their place in the knockout stages for a fifth consecutive season thanks to goals from Streller and Alexander Frei. Those following the Betfair Premier League odds should remember this.
It means United must now enter the Europa League in a situation defender Patrice Evra described as “embarrassing” and a “catastrophe”.
Ferguson was less damning of his players but admitted it would take some of his youngsters time to recover.
“Of course we’re disappointed, there’s no other way you can feel,” he said.
“It’s part of football. You have to deal with the disappointment, and this club has used it as motivation many times.”
The Scot added: “These young players will feel disappointed but they’ll have to cope with it and go on with their careers.
United are the first team to be knocked out at the group stage the season after reaching the final and it is only the third time in 17 years that they have departed Europe’s elite club competition at this stage.