Soccer:Darron Gibson could get the chance to prove himself on the big stage tomorrow after it was confirmed Paul Scholes did not travel to Spain ahead of the Champions League meeting with Valencia at the Mestalla Stadium. The 35-year-old Scholes has been sidelined for 10 days with a calf problem, while Wayne Rooney could be out for up to three weeks.
Michael Carrick is also an option for Alex Ferguson in the absence of his veteran midfielder but the England international has only just returned to training, having been out of action since the Community Shield game against Chelsea in August.
Carrick is vastly more experienced than the Republic of Ireland international, and with Ryan Giggs, Scholes, Gary Neville and Rooney all left behind, he remains the favourite to shore up the midfield with Darren Fletcher.
Ferguson revealed today that Rooney will be out of action for at least two weeks because of an ankle injury, meaning he will miss the league game at Sunderland on Saturday and also England's Euro 2012 qualifier against Montenegro on October 12th.
"It will be two to three weeks," said Ferguson. "But it depends because Wayne has done quite well with his recovery from injury in the past."
Rooney has only scored once this season - from the penalty spot - compared with three in a week for Michael Owen and seven so far this season for top scorer Dimitar Berbatov.
Former England skipper Kevin Keegan claimed on Sunday that Rooney's confidence was "shot", adding the forward only had himself to blame for the press intrusion into his life because of the number of endorsements he current has. Ferguson wasn't entertaining such speculation this evening.
"It is a straightforward ankle injury," he said. "And it is not the same one he did in (Champions League quarter-finals) Munich."
Despite the absentees, United's main concern is their defensive solidity, or lack of it. They will undoubtedly need to improve in that area if they are to avoid defeat against a side that has shrugged off the summer departures of David Villa and David Silva to become the surprise early-season pace-setters in the Primera Division.
"It is going to be a difficult match," said midfielder Fletcher. "People might say it is not the same Valencia because they have lost Villa and Silva.
"But as we have seen at Manchester United, when you lose good players others step up to the mark and take on more responsibility.
"They have had a fantastic start."
United cannot say the same. With Antonio Valencia and Giggs ruled out through injury, United do not have an abundance of wide players to call upon as they try to avoid defeat in one of Europe's most impressive stadiums.
"We have picked up experience of playing in Europe and we have confidence," said Fletcher. "We know how to cope with the travel and the different styles of play. Against Spanish sides, keeping the ball is key. "If you give the ball away cheaply, you might not see it for a few minutes and they will punish you."