Brown out for three months with broken ankle

MANCHESTER United defender Wes Brown has been ruled out for three months after a scan revealed he fractured his right ankle in their shock Champions League defeat to Zalaergeszegi.

Brown went down after a hefty challenge with Igor Budisa early in the qualifier in Budapest and manager Alex Ferguson admitted after the 1-0 loss he was expecting bad news.

The England defender had been seen as the stand-in for right-back Gary Neville, who is still nursing the foot he broke at the end of last season, giving Ferguson a major selection headache ahead of tomorrow’s Premiership clash with West Brom at Old Trafford. Apart from leaving Ferguson with few defensive options, it is also a major blow to the 22-year-old Manchester-born player, who signed a four-year contract with the Red Devils 12 months ago.