Rio Ferdinand out of World Cup? Another major headache for Capello and especially Ferguson?..

The news that Rio Ferdinand is injured again should not surprise Manchester United supporters, given he spent so much time on the sidelines over the last 12 months. However, on this occasion, Rio has sustained a knee injury and it could turn to be ligament damage, if so, he will almost certainly be ruled out of the World Cup. If that happens it will be disappointing for both the player and England manager.

In a worst case scenario, Capello should be able to draft in a late replacement; Michael Dawson is the most likely candidate. Capello took a major gamble when selecting Ferdinand and Ledley King given both are injury prone. The England manager can solve his problems at a stroke, with the addition of an adequate replacement, but for Ferguson, the problems are potentially more damaging if the injury proves to be serious and the player is ruled out for any length of time.

Ferdinand's club form has undoubtedly suffered due to his constant injury problems, so much so, that now would be a good time for Ferguson to look for a long-term replacement. With little money to spend in this summer's transfer window this latest injury news could just add to Ferguson's growing problems. It could be argued Ferguson should have moved sooner to bring in another first-class centre-back, given Ferdinand's problems and the constant speculation surrounding Vidic. Lucio would have been the perfect choice, but Ferguson allowed Jose Mourinho to sign the Brazilian last summer for just five million Euros.