Manchester United facing injury crisis ahead of start of new season

If there was only a hint of a smile when Sir Alex Ferguson insisted yesterday he has bigger problems than Cristiano Ronaldo or his search for an assistant manager, it showed exactly how severe Manchester United's summer injury crisis has become.

The Old Trafford boss certainly was not joking when he revealed that his most pressing worry is whether he will be able to field a team come the start of the season.

With Wayne Rooney joining the list of those who will miss the opening of the new campaign, the situation is fast becoming desperate.

Ferguson has calmly dealt with the continuing destabilisation from Real Madrid over Ronaldo's future, but the absence of the player through injury is more of an immediate concern, given Louis Saha's continuing frailty, and Rooney's unfortunate susceptibility to a mystery virus.

No wonder the United manager was left shaking his head almost in bemusement at an injury list that seems to get longer by the day. "At the moment, all we're looking at is who's bloody injured and who's got viruses," he explained.

"If I need anything, then it's somebody to worry about whether we're going to have a team to start the season because on top of all the other injuries, Nani's suspended, Anderson's in the Olympic Games. And I doubt we'll get Rooney for the start of the season with this virus he's had."

Rooney apparently picked up the virus while on a flying visit to Nigeria during a whistle-stop tour of Africa in United's pre-season campaign.

Rooney has not even trained since a game against the Kaiser Chiefs on July 26, when he scored to help his team to a comfortable victory, and Ferguson revealed that the problem is serious enough to rule him out of the start of the season.

"It's a virus he's picked up in Nigeria I believe, and it's not a nice one, you know," said the manager.

"It's a bad virus. He's not trained.

He's not back in yet - 12 days until the start of the season and he's not trained. "He hasn't been able to do anything since we left South Africa on the 26th, so it's a long time."

Ferguson revealed that others have gone down with a similar virus, including Michael Carrick, who has only just returned to training.

And he admitted that the club's doctors are worried about the problem. "We've done all the investigation. We got the facilities here to do things now," he said. "We've got our own laboratory now. It wasn't malaria, he's had the tablets for that, and it's not any of the other sicknesses.

"Carrick's had it, but he came in this morning and hopefully he may be in for part of the game on Sunday - it's difficult to say.

"It's such a bad virus that it's knocked them out, which has left us struggling to get a team together."

Fergie did not need any more injury worries ahead of the Community Shield game with Portsmouth, and the opening fixture against Newcastle a week later.

Ronaldo is definitely out following surgery on an ankle problem, and he will not be available again until the end of September. Owen Hargreaves too, has not played all summer with a tendon problem, and he is a huge doubt for the start of the campaign. Ji-Sung Park is still recovering following a knee operation during the summer, Gary Neville has picked up a calf strain after 18 months out with an ankle problem, and Saha has not played any pre-season games, following his ownwell documented injury travails.

It leaves Ferguson looking to young striker Frazier Campbell as his main spearhead, unless he can swiftly conclude a deal for Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov.

With Rooney out of the Community Shield, if he misses the Newcastle game he will then be ruled out of England's friendly against the Czech Republic the following Wednesday.

Fergie at least seemed relaxed about Ronaldo's future, despite the continuing attempts by Madrid to lure the forward to Spain.

"The matter is closed now. Cristiano is a Manchester United player, and it's finished. He is here, he is with us, he is going to play here next season and it is all over," he said.

Ronaldo was due to return on Monday to begin his rehabilitation from injury, but he was in Lisbon yesterday for a consultation with Portugal national team coach Antonio Gaspar, and club officials said he will fly back to England on Friday.

Ferguson was optimistic about the search for a new assistant after the departure of Carlos Queiroz to become Portugal manager, but he hinted at a longer stay for Ronaldo, when he admitted that the need to speak Portuguese may be important.

"Speaking Portuguese may possibly be an area where boxes have to be ticked in the search for an assistant. We hope to have someone by the end of September," he said.