Man U hit hard by injuries to top stars

Champions Manchester United could be without seven senior players through injury in Saturday’s Premier League match at Charlton Athletic after international duty took its toll on their squad.

United’s bid to bounce back from their 1-0 defeat at Southampton has been hampered by fresh injuries to Nicky Butt, Mikael Silvestre, John O’Shea and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. With midfielders Paul Scholes (hernia) and Kleberson (shoulder) and defender Rio Ferdinand (kidney infection) already out, manager Alex Ferguson’s squad will be stretched to the limit at The Valley.

“The injury situation is unclear at the moment,” Ferguson told a news conference on Friday. “Paul Scholes is obviously out. We’re just monitoring that one at the moment. There’s no real progress there.

“Nicky Butt has come back with an injury, Mikael Silvestre’s come back with an injury and John O’Shea and (striker) Ole Solskjaer have come back with injuries. They have done a little bit of light training and some are getting treatment. We are taking 20 players down to London, which we have to do in this situation because we’re unclear of the fitness of the players.”

Ferdinand has also been told by the club’s medical staff that he still cannot play as a result of the kidney infection that forced him to miss England’s games against Macedonia and Liechtenstein in the past week. Midfielder Butt collected an ankle injury in Macedonia and Ireland defender O’Shea looks set to be ruled out with ankle problem. With Wes Brown a long-term absentee due to a knee injury, United could find their defensive resources stretched, particularly if French international Silvestre does not recover in time.

Captain Roy Keane may again be forced into service in the back four but Ferguson believes that his squad has the versatility to cope with their current problems. He said: “We have got players who can adapt and apply themselves in different ways.

“Quinton Fortune and Phil Neville can play in different positions, Roy Keane could go into the back four and Gary Neville could play centre back. We’ve got cover in that respect. You’ve got to have a nucleus of players who can play positions in the modern game. We’ll be okay.”

United go to Charlton on the back of two indifferent performances against Wolves and then Southampton. Ferguson does not under-estimate the threat posed by the London side, particularly after their signing of Italian Paolo di Canio who interested the Old Trafford boss two seasons ago. But he is expecting his side to bounce back to form in a bid to catch up with leaders Arsenal who have a three-point lead at the top. (Reuters)