United stretched to breaking point

Manchester United’s defensive crisis took a turn for the worse on Monday with the news that John O’Shea and Jonny Evans would be out until next year. The duo will miss five EPL matches and Tuesday's Champions League game against Wolfsburg. The Red Devils have a total of eight defenders in the treatment room at present, with Nemanja Vidic (flu), Rio Ferdinand (calf), Wes Brown (hamstring), Gary Neville (groin), Rafael (shoulder) and Fabio (groin) all nursing knocks. Things are so bad that United ended Saturday’s game against West Ham with Michael Carrick in central defence and Ryan Giggs at left-back. Carrick looks set to continue in the unaccustomed role against Wolfsburg, possibly alongside fellow midfielder Darren Fletcher. And with strikers Wayne Rooney (hamstring) and Dimitar Berbatov (knee) now also doubts for Saturday's meeting with Aston Villa, Sir Alex Ferguson's squad is stretched to near breaking point.