Manchester United have confirmed that defender Nemanja Vidic will be sidelined for the rest of the season following damage to a cruciate ligament in his knee.
The Red Devils captain was expected to experience a lengthy absence following comments from the player's agent.
The Serbian suffered the injury during the Premier League champions 2-1 defeat to FC Basel in the Champions League clash on Wednesday.
"[It's] not unexpected but still bad news," said Ferguson. "We thought [his] injury was a bad one. When you saw the replays it was a bad one. He sees a specialist on Monday, obviously to map out the progress of when he does and has the operation. It won't be immediate because we have to let the swelling come down after all."
This latest blow adds to Ferguson's injury woes, which include absentees Dimitar Berbatov, Javier Hernandez and Tom Cleverley.
