Evra and Park fret over United injury crisis

Manchester United may be joint-top of the Premier League but both Patrice Evra and Ji-Sung Park have admitted they are concerned by the club's mounting injury list.

Evra is stand-in skipper with Rio Ferdinand again out with back problems and saw fellow defender Jonny Evans limp out of the 5-0 Boxing Day win over Wigan with a calf knock which is expected to sideline him for a fortnight.

The Frenchman said: "I am a little bit worried because we need everyone if we are going to win the league," said the France international.

"It is starting to get annoying. It is not the first year we got so many injuries. Two years ago I played with Michael Carrick and Darren Fletcher at the back.

"The most important thing is that we won but I hope everyone gets fit because Blackburn is another big game and we need all the defenders."

By the final whistle yesterday, United had 11 players on the treatment table. They ended up with Evra and Michael Carrick in central defence, Antonio Valencia at full-back and Wayne Rooney operating in central midfield.

Park added: "I have never known anything like it. Hopefully we will get our defenders back pretty quickly because we are coming up to some very important games.

"We have to deal with it and get through this period."

Of those who missed out yesterday, Sir Alex Ferguson has highest hopes of Phil Jones and Chris Smalling making a swift recovery from illness.