Manchester United FC manager Sir Alex Ferguson revealed on Friday that midfielder Michael Carrick will be out of action for three weeks with an Achilles tendon injury.

Carrick, who has made just a solitary substitute appearance in the Premier League this term, also failed to feature for England having been called up for the recent UEFA EURO 2012 qualifiers against Bulgaria and Switzerland. "We've had a little setback with Michael Carrick," said Ferguson. "He's out for three weeks with an Achilles problem. He's seen a specialist and had an injection."

Carrick is now set to miss United's UEFA Champions League Group C opener against Rangers FC on Tuesday and could also be unavailable for the Matchday 2 trip to Valencia CF. The 29-year-old will be absent for Saturday's league game at Everton and Liverpool FC's visit to Old Trafford on 19 September. Ferguson also revealed that Rio Ferdinand will return to the squad against Everton having been injured while on FIFA World Cup duty with England.