Park set to miss semi

Manchester United wide man Park Ji-Sung seems certain to miss tomorrow night’s Carling Cup semi-final at Blackburn after suffering a knee injury during the warm-up to Sunday’s FA Cup draw at Burton.

The South Korea international was originally named in Alex Ferguson’s side to face the Brewers but was forced to pull out after having a ball kicked against his thigh, which subsequently caused damage to his knee.

United officials have played down reports in Asia which claimed Park is definitely out for a least a fortnight but the 24-year-old is having treatment and is highly unlikely to turn out in the first leg at Ewood Park.

With Premiership encounters against Manchester City and Liverpool to come this month, plus the return tie with Blackburn, the Burton FA Cup replay and a fourth-round tie at Wolves, Sir Alex Ferguson does not want to lose the 24-year-old for an extended period.

Although the £4m (€5.8m) summer arrival from PSV Eindhoven has yet to establish himself as a first-team regular at Old Trafford, Park has proved himself a useful substitute at times this season, with 14 of his 29 United appearances coming off the bench.

And, after scoring his first Red Devils goal in December’s Carling Cup win at Birmingham, Ferguson will not want to be without Park during a packed January programme.