Roberto Mancini will have been encouraged by the news that his Manchester City team may be facing the United second string on Wednesday. A virus has been sweeping through the Red Devils’ Carrington training complex and it could mean that Patrice Evra, Nemanja Vidic, Dimitar Berbatov and Paul Scholes are all unavailable for the Manchester derby.

Sir Alex Ferguson admitted that he’s concerned about the situation, especially as Nani and Ryan Giggs are missing in midfield, with Wayne Rooney and Antonio Valencia also sidelined by injury.

“It is not a great position for us to be in. We are counting heads at the moment,” he said.

Owen Hargreaves has been ruled out for a further five weeks after breaking down within minutes of starting Saturday’s match against Wolves and it’s a hamstring which is affecting the midfielder rather than the old knee problem.

“We were at the stage where we knew Owen’s knee was OK,” Ferguson said. “His training performances for eight or nine days previously had been terrific. He had done really well, which is why we took the chance. But maybe the tension in the build-up for the lad was too much and he suffered because of it.”