Sir Alex Ferguson has said he is not planning to go into the January transfer market to help Manchester United recover from a potentially season-defining week that has downgraded them to the Europa League and left them without their captain, Nemanja Vidic, for the rest of the campaign.
Vidic ruptured cruciate ligaments in the 2-1 defeat in Basel on Wednesday that eliminated United from the Champions League, a failure that could cost the club £20m and has brought the "hounds out", to use Ferguson's description, at a point when the champions are struggling to keep up with Manchester City, five points clear at the top of the Premier League.
The Serb will see a specialist on Monday to determine when he has surgery and Ferguson admitted it was a "serious blow" on the back of a difficult period that has seen United thrashed 6-1 by City and go out of the Carling Cup to Crystal Palace in a quarter-final defeat that ended with the manager issuing a public apology.
"It's not unexpected but still bad news," Ferguson said of Vidic's nine-month rehabilitation programme. "We thought it was a bad one at the time and when we saw the replays we knew it was a bad one. So he's out for the season and it's a blow because he's such a dominant character."
Ferguson does at least have cover in the form of Chris Smalling, Phil Jones and Jonny Evans but the greater reliance on Rio Ferdinand is undermined by the former England captain's injury problems. Ferdinand has not managed four successive games for 14 months and has played roughly 40% of United's fixtures over the past two years, losing his England place in the process.
"I thought he was our best player on Wednesday," Ferguson said. "But we have to consider he's 33 and has had his injury issues over the last two or three years, particularly with his back."
United have another six players – Javier Hernández, Tom Cleverley, Michael Owen, Anderson and the Da Silva twins – who will be out until the new year. Ashley Young's toe problem has flared up again and, although Dimitar Berbatov has returned to training and may feature against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, Ferguson drew a direct link between the club's injury problems and faltering performances.
"We started the season so well, but it does destabilise you," he said before turning his attention to the possibility of strengthening his squad in January. "I have nothing in my mind at the moment. It's very difficult buying someone in January and you don't want to buy anyone simply because it gives you another player. If we're going to buy we want someone who makes a difference, but it [January] is not a consistent route for us simply because of all the disadvantages."
Ferguson tried to sign Samir Nasri and Wesley Sneijder in the summer, but reiterated his belief in his players. "They got a nasty experience on Wednesday but they know they have the trust of myself and the coaches, and they will not be hounded because of one bad performance.
"I don't think anyone relishes seeing criticism of themselves. I've said time and again you need to lose only two games and the hounds are out, but I think the players we have here are the right players. Like everyone else, we want to be better, we want to be perfect. We never can be perfect but perseverance is the best way to try. And time will prove us right."
Ferguson's comments after the Basel match about the Europa League feeling like a "punishment" have led to a pointed rebuke from Uefa's president, Michel Platini, that "you shouldn't criticise the Europa League just because you've played in three Champions League finals".
Ferguson was not willing to prolong the argument. "I made the point only in the sense that for 20 years all we've thought about is winning the European Cup. So that's the punishment in the sense that it's a disappointment we are not challenging for it this year. It's not a slight against the Europa League because it's a competition we want to win. We're in it and we'll try to win it."
