Sir Alex Ferguson scored a decisive victory in the club versus country row over Paul Scholes' fitness - but the final intervention of a surgeon's knife will leave Manchester United without their key midfielder for six weeks.

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The Old Trafford chief spent the last week being accused of wrecking England's plans for the forthcoming European Championship qualifiers by playing Scholes against Middlesbrough last Tuesday, even though he claimed the 27-year-old wasn't fit enough to report for international duty.

Ferguson insisted it had been a gamble to play Scholes in the 1-0 win last week and he finally gave in to fitness concerns which have been plaguing one of Sven-Goran Eriksson's five key players since the start of last month, ruling him out of the clash with Bolton, almost all the Red Devils' Champions League first phase games and England's double-header with Slovakia and Macedonia next month.

Though Scholes was forced to fly home for treatment on the knee injury caused by Christian Chivu's crude challenge from behind in the friendly with Ajax at the beginning of August, United officials thought the recovery could be completed without an operation.

However, the problem has failed to clear up and though he has battled through the ankle injury which had initially ruled him out of England contention, Scholes was forced to accept the need for surgery, which will rule him out for between three and six weeks.

"Paul has never really recovered from the tackle in Amsterdam," admitted Ferguson.

"He hasn't completed a game since last season, so we had to bite the bullet and get it done now.

"It leaves us a little bit stretched in midfield but we have some good options so we will take the poison now and hopefully the situation will ease as the months go on."

The sight of skipper Roy Keane hobbling round United's Carrington training complex offered little comfort.

Keane is also facing at least another five weeks on the sidelines following his recent hip operation, with Ferguson admitting he will not rush the Irishman back into action.

"There is no hurry in that respect," he said.

"Roy needs the break from the operation. He has been in for the last two days but he is just doing upper body work."

With Keane and Scholes absent, the spotlight will shine brightly on Juan Veron as United demand a return on their £28.1million investment.

Ferguson has yet to decide whether to had £1.5million keeper Ricardo Lopez his debut.

Wes Brown and Quinton Fortune remain sidelined, while Michael Stewart and Luke Chadwick are added to the squad, as is Gary Neville.

Defender Paul Warhurst has recovered from the head injury which forced him off in Bolton's last game, the victory over Aston Villa, to take his place in the visitors' squad.