Injury concerns plague flu-ridden Manchester United
Several Manchester United players are suffering from a flu virus ahead of the team's game against Manchester City on Wednesday, 10 November, while Owen Hargreaves is set for a five-week spell on the sidelines.
Defenders Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra started United's game against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, 6 November, despite showing sign of illness.
The virus is believed to have hit United's training ground last week.
At a press conference ahead of Wednesday's derby, United boss Sir Alex Ferguson refrained from naming the players suffering from the virus, but it is thought that Evra, Vidic, Paul Scholes and Dimitar Berbatov — who wasn't included in Saturday's squad — have
all been infected.
"We are counting heads at the moment," Ferguson said of his selection dilemmas. "I've no idea where to begin with my team, no ideas at all at the moment. We've still got players out with flu and some were sent home [on Monday] so we're not in a great position
at the moment."
Hargreaves out just after returning
Owen Hargreaves' absence is an equally unfortunate but perhaps less expected injury concern for Ferguson.
The midfielder, whose injury problems have seen him make only 28 league appearances in just over three seasons, was declared fit from his knee problem ahead of Saturday's game only to come off with a hamstring injury five minutes after making his comeback.
"We were at the stage where we knew Owen's knee was okay. His training performances for eight or nine days previously had been terrific," Ferguson told Manchester radio station Key 103 about his midfielder, who now faces at least five weeks on the sidelines.
"He had done really well, which is why we took the chance. But maybe the tension in the build-up for the lad was too much and he suffered because of it."
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