Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson admits losing Michael Carrick for six weeks with an elbow injury is a big blow.
"I knew he was in pain, so we sent him for an X-ray and it confirmed it was a broken arm.
"It's a blow especially as his last three performances have been spot on.
"That was the Michael Carrick of last season. I thought he had a slow start to the campaign, but he was gathering momentum again. He was superb against Chelsea, Birmingham and Roma."