Brazilian footballer Anderson will miss the rest of the season, his club Manchester United has revealed.

The midfielder, who was signed from FC Porto in 2006, will return to Portugal to undergo cruciate knee ligament surgery after limping off the field during this week's home game against West Ham United.

Manager Alex Ferguson stated yesterday [February 25th] that the 21-year-old had suffered the injury, which occurred as he played a pass during the early stages of the match.

"With these types of injuries, it’s usually something simple. He stretched to pass the ball and his knee just popped," Ferguson stated.

He added that Anderson is likely to be out for six months, meaning that he should be able to make the start of next season.

Older knee injury victims may find that their recovery takes longer, but the use of an ultrasound probe may help speed up the process.

Other United players to have undergone knee ligament surgery include Owen Hargreaves, whose slow progress in returning from the problem this season saw him omitted from the club's squad for the knock-out stages of the Champions League.