Manchester United defender Wes Brown will be out for up to six weeks as his injury is as bad as the club initially feared
United manager Sir Alex Ferguson confirmed the disappointing news this afternoon but did not specify the nature of the problem.
Reports have speculated that the England full-back may have broken his metatarsal in the match with Wolves at the weekend, the injury picked up in a tackle with Wolves midfielder Matt Jarvis, he left the ground with a protective boot on the damaged foot.
This timescale will be good news for England boss Fabio Capello with Brown, 30, widely expected to be part of the World Cup squad after playing at right-back against Egypt last week, in the absence of Glen Johnson.
This injury further adds to manager Ferguson's headaches ahead of Wednesday night's Champions League last-16 return leg against AC Milan, and Brown will also miss crucial league games against Fulham, Liverpool, Bolton and Chelsea on April 3, which will have a huge impact on the eventual outcome of the Premier League title.