Manchester United central defender Rio Ferdinand has been ruled out of the Red Devils' next two matches, a span which will include the March 1 match at Stamford Bridge. Having suffered with a calf injury since his February 1 appearance against Aston Villa, Ferdinand is set to extend his time out of the team to over a month.
Rio Ferdinand To Miss Chelsea Match With Calf Injury
With Jonny Evans also out for Tuesday's match, United's first meeting with Chelsea will see Nemanja Vidic partnered with Chris Smalling at the back. The pair started Wednesday at Stade Vélodrome, shutting out Olympique de Marseille.
Although only Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra have made more appearances in United's defense this season, Ferdinand has only played in 15 of the club's 29 league matches. Last season, back problems limited Ferdinand to 13 league appearances.
Manchester United struggled defensively at the beginning of this English Premier League season, Ferdinand out of the team while recovering from a summer knee injury. Then, Evans struggled while partnering Vidic. During Ferdinand’s latest spell out of the team, United’s used Smalling in right-central defense.
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