Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster admits his knee injury is so serious that looming surgery is needed to save his career.

"It could have been worse," Foster told The Mirror after doctors discovered bone impacting on the ligaments. "If they hadn't found that fragment of bone the surgeons told me I wouldn't have had much of a career left."

The newspaper speculates that the goalkeeper may not play again until the New Year, but Foster remains upbeat about his future.

"I read some of the headlines about my United and England dreams being shattered, but I'm not looking at it that way. Of course it's galling, but I'm looking at it as a massive blessing in disguise because it could have been much worse."

Earlier this year, Sir Alex Ferguson described Foster's capture as "a great bit of business" and tantamount to "guarding the future of the club".