Injury crisis opens transfer door for Fergie

Sir Alex Ferguson is considering a move in the transfer market to solve Manchester United's growing injury crisis.

The United manager is without his firstchoice strike partnership of Ruud van Nistelrooy and Louis Saha for tonight's Champions League qualifier away to Dinamo Bucharest.

Ole Gunnar Solksjaer has also been ruled out for the season with injury.

After spending £28million this year on Saha, Alan Smith and Gabriel Heinze, it was thought the United spending was over until the January transfer window.

But asked whether he would consider buying another player before the end of the month, Ferguson said: "It's difficult for me to say. We are stretched and we are taking stock of the situation.

"Ruud is a straightforward one as we know he should be playing in six weeks.

Louis is more difficult to assess. We hope that three weeks will see him back."

Ferguson will play Smith alone up front tonight with Paul Scholes as the support striker, but the manager's main worry is who to partner Mikael Silvestre in central defence.

He added: "This is an opportunity for someone."

Dinamo Bucharest v Man Utd, National Stadium, tonight, 7.45pm (Live on ITV2)