United victorious but at a cost as Silvestre joins long-term injury list
The loss of Mikaël Silvestre, almost certainly for the remainder of the season, after a shoulder dislocation was a costly end to an otherwise straightforward evening for Manchester United as they coasted into the last eight of the Champions League with a 1-0 victory over Lille.
Four victories, since that stormy first leg in France two weeks ago, have taken Sir Alex Ferguson's side through to the quarter-finals of Europe and the FA Cup and into a nine-point lead at the top of the Premiership. However, that same period has come at great cost to United in terms of injuries. Louis Saha is expected to be out for a month and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is unavailable until the end of March. Henrik Larsson, having scored last night's winner, returns to Sweden on Sunday, and the youngster Giuseppe Rossi is not permitted to be recalled from loan at Italy's Parma.
Man Utd's Saha out for four weeks
Manchester United striker Louis Saha has been ruled out for four weeks with a hamstring injury.
Saha sustained the problem in training for the Champions League clash with Lille at Old Trafford.
The 28-year-old's injury is a setback for United boss Sir Alex Ferguson as he faces a shortage of strikers.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is out for a month after knee surgery, while Henrik Larsson will return to Sweden shortly after a loan spell from Helsingborg.
Saha's injury was confirmed after a scan on Tuesday, and manager Sir Alex Ferguson has already said he will not make any late attempt to extend Larsson's loan spell.
He will miss Saturday's FA Cup tie at Middlesbrough, the Premiership clashes with Bolton and Blackburn on 17 and 31 March, and, almost certainly, the first leg of the Champions League quarter final at the beginning of April should they progress.