Manchester United have today confirmed that the injury Nemanja Vidic picked up in our 2-1 defeat to FC Basel will see him ruled out for the rest of the season.

This is absolutely devastating news for the club, given the massive difference he makes to our defensive performances.

“We thought it was a bad one,” said Ferguson. “He’s out for the season. It’s not unexpected but it’s still bad news. He’ll see a specialist on Monday to work out the progress of when he has the operation. It won’t be immediate as we have to let the swelling come down.”