Manchester United have revealed that the hamstring injury suffered by Dimitar Berbatov is not as bad as it was first announced.

The Bulgarian picked up the knock during his midweek international duty and it will see him sidelined for the clash with Aston Villa on Saturday.

The 27-year-old is also expected to miss the Red Devils' UEFA Champions League game against Villarreal next week and possibly the Manchester derby next weekend.

But Sir Alex Ferguson has stated that he doubts the GBP 31 million striker will be out for too long, saying: "It's a slight strain rather than a tear, so that is positive news."

The United boss has also confirmed that defender Wes Brown has undergone exploratory surgery on an ankle problem.

"I would have thought Wes will be out for between four and five weeks, which is disappointing," he added.

"Fortunately we have plenty of cover at right-back, with Gary Neville, Rafael Da Silva and John O'Shea available to come in."