Manchester United's hopes of fending off Arsenal in this season's title race were dealt a considerable blow last night with the news that Paul Scholes is to miss the next three months through injury.
The midfielder visited a specialist in London yesterday to have a scan that revealed he had damaged knee ligaments and will need an operation. That will take place on Thursday and he will not play again until early February.
The repercussions for United will be partly offset by the return of Michael Carrick, who has had an X-ray on a broken arm and been cleared to resume full training. Owen Hargreaves suffered no reaction after Saturday's defeat of Middlesbrough, his first start since September 1st, while Gary Neville will return from a seven-month lay-off in a reserve game on Thursday.
Yet Scholes, even at 32, is still a mandatory first-team pick for United's bigger games and his absence will be a setback for Alex Ferguson as he prepares a side to face Arsenal on Saturday.