United in major injury crisis

LONDON, Apr 21 (Reuters) Manchester United have a major injury crisis before Tuesday's Champions League semi-final against AC Milan, manager Alex Ferguson said today.

While leaders United dropped points in a 1-1 draw at home to Middlesbrough to throw the title race wide open, their injury list grew with Rio Ferdinand and Kieran Richardson the latest additions.

Ferdinand's groin injury will keep him out of action for two weeks, ruling him out of both legs of the Champions League semi-final. There was no news on Richardson's injury after he too was substituted at halftime.

Already on the casualty list are defender Nemanja Vidic (collarbone), captain Gary Neville (ankle), midfielder Park Ji-sung (knee) and forward Louis Saha (hamstring).

''I'm actually only playing with 12 players now, the rest are injured,'' Ferguson told Sky Sports News.

''It's an injury crisis of major proportions.

''We've got to patch up a team for this massive game on Tuesday now.'' The injury problems could not have come at a worse time for United, who are chasing a treble but are in danger of having their lead at the top of the Premiership slashed to one point if Chelsea win at Newcastle United on Sunday.

Ferguson blamed Ferdinand's injury for Middlesbrough's equaliser just before halftime. He had been visibly struggling to defend when Mark Viduka headed in the goal.

''The injuries killed us in the first half. I was hoping to get to halftime to get Rio off ... Rio was limping, he just couldn't get to it,'' he said.

''Maybe if I'd taken him off it would have been OK.'' Reuters DH VP0234