Carrick has been our most important player this season so his absence could be costly. Tom Cleverley has barely played this season because of injury but after a few substitute appearances recently may get called back in to the starting XI. Anderson and Darren Fletcher are obviously unavailable, which would mean we had a choice of Giggs, Scholes and even Park to play in the centre of the park.

However, Carrick was seen arriving and leaving Carrington yesterday, so maybe there is some hope for him.

With Nemanja Vidic, Chris Smalling and Jonny Evans injured, we are going to be struggling to put a back four together. Rio Ferdinand was substituted off with injury last weekend against Swansea, which could make the situation even worse. The best case scenario would be Rafael, Jones, Rio and Evra as our back four.

Up front, Danny Welbeck is still carrying the injury from the City game, meaning Rooney is likely to start up front with Chicharito.

This obviously isn’t the ideal preparation to the biggest game of the season. If you look at the injury table Manchester United are at the top with 10 injuries whilst Manchester City are at the bottom with 0. This has been the case all season.

Roll on tomorrow…

Smalling may still be involved in the Olympic squad though after Ferguson has refused participation in both competitions to our players.

“Rio is such a great player and he has great experience,” he said. “It depends on Chris Smalling. His stitches came open in the first half. We thought we’d patched them up at half time but they came open again. It’s a possibility. I will maybe gamble with a couple on Sunday for Thursday’s game.”

Anders Lindegaard damaged his ankle in training after claiming the starting place in the team from David de Gea. Unfortunately for Lindegaard, de Gea has enjoyed great form in his absence and is likely to see out the season as our #1.

“Anders is doing all the running now,” said Ferguson. “It will be another two or three weeks before he gets into the football side but he is progressing very well.”

Paul Scholes was missing from training today because he was doing work in the gym.

“The good thing is I’m getting players back,” he said. “Anderson is back now, Cleverley will be fit for next week [against West Brom on Sunday] and Chris Smalling will be back for Thursday [against Athletic Bilbao]. Valencia should be back for the away trip the week after. If we’ve got a full squad it gives us a better chance [to win the league].”

After missing large chunks of the season and pre-season over recent years, the club had previously told the media it was a “virus”. After revealing what was really keeping him out, the club suggested he would miss the rest of the season, although in reality, it could be his whole career at stake.

However, Fletch has insisted he is doing everything he can to manage his condition so he can be back for the start of next season.

“I’m okay,” said Fletcher. “I’m taking all my medication and listening to the doctor. It’s a week-by-week situation so I’ve not got any timescale on recovery, but the target for me is next season now. If I can come back then that would be great for me. It’s something that will never leave me, but you have to find somehow a way to manage it so that I can still play my football. I’m trying everything under the sun at the moment, diet and hypnotherapy.”

“The availability of Ashley Young and Nani as natural wide players considerably strengthens our attacking options,” Ferguson wrote in the programme for Ajax. “And I am sure our strikers are pleased to see them. They will be sorry to see Antonio Valencia injured again because he too provides great service from out on his wing, but it’s not a particularly serious injury and he should be back in a week or so.”

After suffering a nasty injury the season before last, which saw him miss most of the season, he admitted he was worried this latest injury would keep him out for a long time.

“After my last injury experiences I feared the worst,” he said. “I was anguished but after tests the medical staff have confirmed a muscle rupture in the hamstring. It’s important but not grave – I should be back in a month. I am angry because it has happened at such a key moment in the season for United. I have developed and played some good matches and that’s the worst consequence of all this. But now the doctors have calmed me down and I have to recuperate and then help the team in our race to win the Premier League and Europa League.”

However, he only lasted ten minutes before being subbed off with an injury.

“He has a hamstring injury unfortunately,” Ferguson said. “It will be four weeks. It is a bad blow for us.”

This is desperately disappointing news for United, considering that along with Michel Carrick, Valencia has probably been our most important player this season. After coming back from an injury, he has gone from strength to strength and his presence will be missed.

Fortunately, Nani and Young are back, although neither of them have looked close to being as effective as Valencia has been this season.

Anders Lindegaard is out for 4-6 weeks but David De Gea should be available for Sunday.