Vidic ruled out for season

Manchester United captain Nemanja Vidic will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury, manager Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed.

Vidic picked up the problem in a tangle with Marco Streller during United’s 2-1 loss to FC Basel in mid-week, which resulted in the Red Devils being eliminated from the Champions League in the group stages.

The injury will be a huge blow to United as they look to chase down Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table, with their cross-town rivals five points clear at the summit.

Ferguson told reporters: “We thought it was a bad one, he’s out for the season. It’s not unexpected but it’s still bad news.”

“He’ll see a specialist on Monday to work out the progress of when he has the operation. It won’t be immediate as we have to let the swelling come down.”