Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson believes Antonio Valencia could be playing again by February.

Initially, Ferguson said Valencia would miss the remainder of the campaign. However, it now appears the damage is not quite as bad as the United boss feared.

"You can never be 100% accurate in these situations and it is a bad injury, but we are looking at the end of February, which is better than we thought on Tuesday," said the United boss.

Valencia had an operation on Wednesday evening to put his left ankle back into place after it was fractured and dislocated.

Ferguson revealed the Ecuador star had also suffered some ligament damage.

"'The operation has been successful and the break was clean, which was the major concern for us at the time," he said. "He is a strong boy, who is very positive about it.

"Being positive helps you in these situations, so we are very hopeful we will get him back then."

What will benefit Valencia as he begins the long fight for fitness is a positive mindset. That was never better exemplified than by Alan Smith, who suffered similar misfortune during an FA Cup tie at Liverpool in 2006, but whose mental toughness astounded even Ferguson.

"There is a mental part to it," he said. "Take the example of Alan Smith. When Alan got his bad injury in that cup tie against Liverpool, he was so positive.

"He sat in that treatment room at Anfield so nonchalant and relaxed about it. Yet you look at his ankle and think 'God almighty'. That attitude definitely helped him."