Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic, who missed five months of the 2011-12 season because of knee problems, will miss another eight weeks after undergoing another surgery on the same knee. Vidic, 30, suffered damage to cruciate ligaments in his right knee last December in a Champions League match against Swiss club Basel and missed the rest of the season.

He was left off the lineup sheet last Sunday for a league match against Liverpool in what was described at the same as a "precautionary measure." In a statement the club said a meniscus procedure was performed on the same knee and will be out for eight weeks, during which he'll miss seven Premier League games and three Champions League matches.

The shorthanded United back line is already missing Phil Jones because of a knee injury and Chris Smalling with a broken metatarsal. Coach Alex Ferguson's only centerbacks are Rio Ferdinand and Jonny Evans, and both of them also have fitness concerns. An ouchy back has been bothering Ferdinand and Evans recently returned from injury and took a hard hit in the defeat of Liverpool last weekend.

United plays Newcastle in the League Cup Wednesday and Tottenham in a league match Saturday.