Ferguson rues midfield injuries

Alex Ferguson was today counting the cost of a pulsating first competitive encounter with Celtic.

His Manchester United side kicked off their Champions League campaign with a thrilling 3-2 victory at Old Trafford last night.

However, the United manager saw Ryan Giggs limp off with a hamstring injury, which will keep him out of action for four weeks.

That came hard on the heels of the news that midfielder Ji-sung Park was due to undergo an ankle operation today, which will sideline him for three months.

It leaves Ferguson desperately short in the midfield area, despite Paul Scholes returning against Celtic with a performance that brought praise from his manager.

Ferguson said: “The injuries are a blow, but for me Scholes was the man of the match. He is just fantastic and his passing won us the game."