Nemanja Vidic out 8 Weeks After Undergoing Knee Surgery

Manchester United captain Nemanja Vidic will miss eight weeks of action after knee surgery, according to the BBC. The injury was discovered after he was forced to miss the team's victory over Liverpool.

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Manchester United have confirmed that captain Nemanja Vidic will be out for eight weeks after knee surgery. #bbcfootball

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) September 25, 2012"

The 30-year-old defender also missed a vast majority of last season due to a knee injury, making the latest ailment even more concerning. It's never a good sign when a veteran player's knees start becoming an issue.

Hopefully for the Red Devils, it's only an isolated incident and he's able to return at full strength after a couple months. He's the leader of a back line that had really started to play well after some lapses during the season's first few games.

The last thing United needs is this to become a recurring problem. The team has enough depth to replace him in the short term, but the Red Devils need his presence in the lineup for the pressure-packed matches surely on the horizon in the season's second half.

If there's any good news, it's that last season's injury to Vidic allowed some of United's other players to gain a lot of valuable experience in his absence. It should make the transition a lot easier than if the team was unprepared for this type of setback.

It also helps to have a veteran like Rio Ferdinand available for Sir Alex Ferguson to take control of the middle of defense without missing a beat. He will ensure United's defenders remain on the same page even without the captain to lead the way.

Vidic joins a growing list of injury concerns for United. Wayne Rooney, Ashley Young and fellow defender Phil Jones are among the other players working their way back to full fitness. It's another example of how important depth is for top clubs.

Assuming everything goes according to plan, Vidic should be ready to return by late November.