Injury sidelines Keane for Champions League opener
The Irishman limped out of Saturday's win at Charlton with an ankle injury and Sir Alex Ferguson, looking ahead to Sunday's match with Arsenal, may opt to give Keane more time to recover.
Paul Scholes (hernia) and Kleberson (dislocated shoulder) are also sidelined, while teenager midfielder Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to make his European debut for United.
In the meantime, Inter Milan striker Christian Vieri has been ruled out of tomorrow's Champions League opener away to Arsenal, having failed to recover from injuries to both ankles, the Italian club has confirmed.
The 30-year-old Italy international suffered the knocks in last week's bruising Euro 2004 qualifier in Belgrade against Serbia and Montenegro.
Vieri did not play in Sunday's 1-0 league win at Siena and was not named in coach Hector Cuper's 20-man squad for the trip to Highbury. Also missing was Uruguayan midfielder Alvaro Recoba, who has fallen out of favour at the San Siro despite being a key figure last season.
Cuper is taking three strikers to London Sierra Leone international Mohammed Kallon, summer signing Julio Cruz, and Nigerian youngster Obafemi Martins.
The Gunners will need to keep a close watch on Inter Milan defender Marco Materazzi in tomorrow night's game.
Judged on his two Serie A matches so far this season, Materazzi has added a goalscoring prowess to his defensive talent.
Materazzi is doing his job in defence for his employers, since Inter are the only team in the Italian league who have yet to concede a goal after two rounds of matches.
But he has also scored two of Inter's modest three-goal league tally to date.
His strikes against Modena and Siena saved Inter from embarrassment and helped them to victories in both matches.
The former Everton defender acknowledges that Wednesday's game will be difficult.
"We will try to do some damage we have the means to hurt Arsenal," he said.
"We will need to be concentrated for 90 minutes, our main problem in recent years has been that we have been (easily) distracted at times."
Materazzi rates Arsenal's France striker Thierry Henry as the man who he cannot afford to let drift out of his sight.
Dutch midfielder Andy van der Meyde, who joined Inter from Ajax during the summer, is set to resume after an upper thigh injury.
Manchester United provisional squad: Howard, Carroll, G Neville, P Neville, Silvestre, Ferdinand, O'Shea, Fortune, Butt, Solskjaer, Ronaldo, Keane, Djemba-Djemba, Giggs, van Nistelrooy, Forlan, Fletcher, Richardson.
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