PARK FACING LENGTHY LAY-OFF

Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed that Park Ji-Sung could be out until January following knee surgery.

The South Korea international was forced to have an operation towards the end of last season and now faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

Park will be part of United's visit to Seoul later this week but, after landing in Tokyo for the first leg of his side's four-match Far East tour, Ferguson revealed the former PSV Eindhoven player will be a frustrated spectator for a while yet.

"He will not be available until December or January," said Ferguson.

"It is very disappointing news but hopefully we have the squad to cover injuries this year."

Even if Tevez manages to complete his move this week, he is not likely to join his new team-mates until they return to England ahead of the August 1 friendly with Inter Milan at Old Trafford.

Another absentee from the trip is South Korean midfielder Park Ji-sung, who will possibly be out of action until January following a knee operation.

Park will make a public appearance when United land in Seoul on Wednesday but Sir Alex Ferguson confirmed the 26-year-old former PSV Eindhoven star will be restricted to a watching brief for quite a while after undergoing surgery last April.

"He will not be available until December or January," said Ferguson.

"It is very disappointing news but hopefully we have the squad to cover injuries this year."

Of United's other current injury absences, Ferguson reported both skipper Gary Neville and veteran front-man Ole Gunnar Solskjaer should be back in training ahead of the season-opener against Reading on August 12.

Key forward Louis Saha will be out slightly longer, with Ferguson confirming it would be mid-August before he will be back on the training field at Carrington.

While Saha should feature for the Red Devils again, it appears Gabriel Heinze has played his last game for the club.

The full-back, who played alongside Tevez for Argentina in Venezuela last night, has expressed a desire to leave Old Trafford, with arch rivals Liverpool among those showing an interest.

It remains highly unlikely Heinze will be allowed to join the Anfield outfit, but Ferguson seems resigned to the popular defender's exit.

"Gaby's agent has advised us that he wants to move on," he said.

"I am not too sure about that and we do not have a concrete offer from any particular club.

"But there is some momentum regarding the player's next move in terms of through his agent, even if nothing is close at this moment in time."

Taken From =football365=