Manchester United are facing a major midfield injury crisis after Paul Scholes was ruled out of tonight's Champions League clash with Dynamo Kiev with a knee problem.

Scholes suffered the injury in training at the Olympic Stadium last night and will have a scan on his return to Manchester to discover the exact extent of the problem.

"Paul will miss tonight's match," Ferguson said. "He got a knee injury in training last night and he will have a scan when we get him home. It is unfortunate, but these things happen and I am sure we have enough experience to cope."

John O'Shea, Darren Fletcher or Anderson should replace Scholes in the United line-up this evening but Ferguson will hope the 32-year-old is not too seriously hurt.

Already, United are without two experienced midfielders in Owen Hargreaves and Michael Carrick. Although Hargreaves could be available for the crunch Premier League encounter with Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on November 3, he is unlikely to play against Middlesbrough on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Carrick, who dislocated his elbow against Roma earlier this month, is not due back until the end of next month.

Scholes has already been sidelined by one knee injury this term after being forced to fly home from the club's Far East tour with a cartilage problem that forced him to miss the remainder of United's pre-season campaign, although he did figure in the opening-day draw with Reading.