Scholes insists injury crisis won’t affect United tonight… but Fergie disagrees

Paul Scholes has insisted that Manchester United’s crippling defensive injury list will not cause too much difficulty for the team in tonight’s Champions League match against Wolfsburg.

United have already qualified for the next stage of the competition but their position at the top of their group is not yet decided and they travel to Germany tonight with a decimated defence due to injuries to most of their first-choice and second-choice defenders. The injury list is so extensive that Sir Alex Ferguson has drafted some young reserve players into the team and they may make their first-team debuts tonight.

But United veteran Scholes says there isn’t any particular need to worry: ‘It doesn’t change too much,’ said Scholes. ‘We always try to play the same way no matter who is in the team. Sometimes you have to fill positions you are not used to. There are 19 players here and I am sure we can cope.’

This optimistic approach hasn’t been entirely shared by Ferguson: ’Wolfsburg will be delighted we have so many injuries,’ admitted Ferguson. ‘I know we might come second in the group but I am not sure whether it really makes much difference.’

Rarely is Ferguson so defeatist in his attitude, but it is true that rarely has he had to pick such a line-up of unknowns in a potentially difficult away match.