Stand-in skipper Ryan Giggs is confident Manchester United can cope with a growing injury list.
With over half a dozen internationals already sidelined, including Gary Neville, Owen Hargreaves, Michael Carrick and Louis Saha, the Red Devils suffered a double blow in Ukraine this week, losing first Paul Scholes in training, then Patrice Evra in the warm-up prior to the 4-2 Champions League triumph over Dynamo Kiev.
Although there has been no official confirmation about the extent of the latest injuries, rumours were circulating around the Olympic Stadium on Tuesday night that Scholes could be missing for a few weeks with a cartilage problem that may require an operation.
Alex Ferguson and his team will desperately hope the speculation proves unfounded, particularly with a trip to table-topping Arsenal looming on November 3.
But Giggs feels the way United adapted to the additional losses last night bodes well for the future.
'There was no disruption,' said the veteran Welshman. 'The manager has chopped and changed this season already, whether that be due to injuries, or suspensions or whatever and we have coped with it, just as we coped with what happened in Kiev.
'It just proves the value of having a good squad. I think a few players are due to come back shortly and once that happens, we will start to look strong again.'
With Saha's fitness seemingly assessed on a game-by-game basis, Neville and Hargreaves are the nearest to making their comebacks.
Hargreaves has a better than even chance of making the Arsenal game, although by then the former Bayern Munich man will not have featured for over two months, hardly the ideal preparation for such a titanic tussle.
Yet the steady improvement of Brazilian teenager Anderson offers United's support genuine cause for optimism.
After struggling badly in the early weeks of his United career, and having his entire Old Trafford future questioned in the wake of the Coventry defeat, the £17million summer arrival from FC Porto is improving by the game and turned in another effective performance alongside Darren Fletcher last night.
'It is important for the players who have come in to bed in as quickly as they can,' reflected Giggs. 'All the signings have bedded in and played some good stuff and overall it is looking really good.'
Anderson seems certain to retain his place against Middlesbrough at Old Trafford on Saturday when United will look to extend, with the exception of their Carling Cup reverse to Coventry, what is now a 10-match winning run.
Victory will take them back to the Premier League summit, if only for 24 hours ahead of Arsenal's testing trip to Liverpool.
And Ferguson and his team are also aware a win in the re-match with Kiev on November 7 will seal a place in the Champions League knock-out phase with two matches to spare.
'You can't ask for any more than three wins from three games,' said Giggs. 'It is the position we wanted to be in, especially with two home games - against Kiev and Sporting Lisbon - to come.
'Hopefully, we can get qualification sealed as quickly as we can, which will give the manager an opportunity to give the lads who need a game a chance to get fit.'
