United may report referee as Giggs faces surgery on fractured cheekbone

Sir Alex Ferguson, the Manchester United manager, yesterday confirmed the club are considering reporting the Italian referee Stefano Farina and the Lille defender Mathieu Bodmer to Uefa following the second-half collision that left the Welsh international nursing a fractured cheekbone. The 31-year-old will be out until the beginning of December as a consequence, and though the absence of another experienced and creative asset has compounded Ferguson's injury problems it is the thought of the injury Giggs could have suffered that has aggravated the United manager.

The winger sustained the injury midway through the second half when he challenged for a high ball with the towering French centre-half. Ferguson refuted suggestions the collision was accidental, despite television evidence to the contrary, but the main focus of his complaint to Uefa will be the match official who, he claimed, refused the midfielder treatment for several minutes. "If he had got another blow he could have got terrible eye damage," said the United manager. "We are very fortunate nothing serious happened."

Giggs is to undergo an operation to insert a plate into a cheekbone that was fractured in three places and came close to damaging his eye socket, and United believe they have a genuine case to bring against Farina for not allowing their physiotherapist to treat a head injury. Ferguson added: " I couldn't believe it, you could see the indentation on his face. If our physio had been allowed on the pitch he would have seen the extent of the injury and brought him off but he played on for 20 minutes. I don't know why the referee wouldn't let him on. It was an elbow and we are assessing [whether to report the referee and player to Uefa] at the moment."

Ferguson confirmed Cristiano Ronaldo would be involved against Tottenham this afternoon. The Portuguese international was arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of raping a woman at a London hotel and, though United are making no official statement, his manager said: "He's training and he will be involved tomorrow. It has been a difficult week for him."

For all their problems, fitness, form and otherwise, United could go second this afternoon if they derail Tottenham's impressive start to the season at Old Trafford. Wayne Rooney will start after missing the Lille game through suspension and Paul Scholes, whose recent struggles continued with a red card on Tuesday, has been assured that he retains the total support of his manager, albeit one who concedes the 30-year-old is lacking in confidence at present. "Paul will score, don't worry, but I think he does need a goal, " admitted Ferguson. "That has been a key element of his game and he's not done so this season. I made this point about Van Nistelrooy. All goalscorers are like that. When they're scoring they think they're never going to stop. When they're not scoring, they don't think they'll ever get one. He's no different."

Today's fixture brings Ferguson into confrontation with two men who he wanted to add to his staff at United - Tottenham's tenacious midfielder Edgar Davids and their manager Martin Jol, whose coaching credentials were recognised at Old Trafford long before he began the renaissance at White Hart Lane. Ferguson approached the Dutchman as a potential replacement for Real Madrid-bound Carlos Queiroz in 2004 but did not pursue Jol as his assistant because "I had a feeling maybe Carlos would come back".

He added: "Martin Edwards and I went out to see Davids and [Michael] Reiziger when they were coming out of contract at Ajax but they both went to Milan. He's suited to English football because he's a competitor. I am pleased for Tottenham, they are a club where their history and philosophy of their play is now being rewarded."

* Kieran Richardson has signed a new four-year deal with Manchester United.