Manchester United captain Nemanja Vidic has been ruled out for the rest of the season, with the knee injury he sustained this week.
Earlier, Vidic's agent Silvano Martina had announced that the player had a ruptured cruciate ligament, and the club have now confirmed what is a massive blow for them.
The Serbian defender was forced off in the Red Devils’ calamitous Champions League defeat to Basel in Switzerland on Wednesday, a loss that saw them crash out of the competition with the Europa League to await them in the New Year.
Vidic went down on his knee prior to half-time in that game and had to be stretchered off, with United boss Sir Alex Ferguson saying in Friday morning's press conference. “We thought it was a bad one.
“He’s out for the season. It’s not unexpected but it’s still bad news.
“He’ll see a specialist on Monday to work out the progress of when he has the operation. It won’t be immediate as we have to let the swelling come down.”
Meanwhile, Sky Sports quotes Martina as telling the Italian website www.calciomercato.com that now is not the time to enter into speculation linking his man with a move to Juventus.
"The interest of Juventus? It seems to me out of place to talk about it, after the injury to the cruciate ligament," he added.
"He'll be out of action for several months, so even if it were true, now it would have no sense to talk about it.
"In any case, there never was anything concrete, but the media sometimes don't know what to write.
"Interest from other clubs? In the market a club comes forward for a player when they know that something is broken between him and his current side.
"Instead, Nemanja is the captain of Manchester United, not just any club."