Manchester United captain Roy Keane says he will not rush back into action after his latest injury setback, a hamstring strain suffered last Saturday against Portsmouth.
"I just have to be careful," Keane told his club's official website on Wednesday. "I've had hamstring strains in the past and you think you're better and come back too early, then you end off worse than you were at the start."
The 31-year-old former Republic of Ireland international missed nearly four months of the season after hip surgery at the start of September. He was only making his fifth appearance since his return when he tweaked his hamstring in United's 4-1 FA Cup win over Portsmouth at Old Trafford.
Keane missed last night's 1-1 League Cup semi-final draw with Blackburn Rovers and may also have to sit out Saturday's premier league trip to West Bromwich Albion.
"The key word at the moment is patience over the next few days and we'll see what happens. It's frustrating," Keane said.
"It's still a bit sore now so we'll just have to wait and see how it goes."