Fellaini Out For Six Weeks

Manchester United midfielder Marouane Fellaini underwent an operation on Saturday to mend a wrist problem he has suffered with this season and he could be out of action for up to six weeks.

The summer transfer deadline day signing has played on with the injury in recent months, knowing that an operation was inevitable, but has been on the sidelines for three weeks with a back problem. So the decision was taken that it was the right time to send the Belgian for wrist surgery.

"He had his operation on Saturday morning," David Moyes confirmed at the Aon Training Complex on Friday in his pre-match press conference ahead of the Boxing Day clash with Hull City.

"We just couldn't get him recovered from his back injury. We thought his back would be okay after 10 days but it wasn't getting any better, so we made a quick decision to get his wrist operated on, to get it done quickly. We think it will be six weeks but there's a chance it will be before that.

"His back problem was just going to take time. It was a muscle injury, which wasn't healing so it was maybe going to take longer than expected. That's why we decided to get the wrist done."

Moyes says Fellaini has been unlucky with injuries as he attempts to acclimatise to life at Old Trafford. "He doesn't feel 100 per cent fit because of the wrist," he added. "I asked him to see over the Christmas period. He got the back injury against Everton and since then he's never really been right, but we thought we might have got him back in a couple of weeks.

"He tried it and it wasn't right, so we thought the best idea was to move on, have the surgery on his wrist and give his back a chance to get well too."

There is better news for United on the injury front with the impending return of influential duo Robin van Persie (thigh) and Michael Carrick (Achilles) over the festive period. "There are always miracles at Christmas time so let's hope there could be one for Robin van Persie or Michael Carrick."