United's Foster to miss Rome final

Manchester United FC goalkeeper Ben Foster will miss the UEFA Champions League final against FC Barcelona after undergoing surgery on ruptured ligaments in his right thumb.

Final disappointment
Foster, who would have been an understudy to first-choice keeper Edwin Van Der Sar in Rome on 27 May, will be out for at least nine weeks, the club said. "It is big blow for Ben as not only will he miss the Champions League final but also England's summer internationals," manager Sir Alex Ferguson told the club's website. "Ben has tried to continue the season with this injury but it got so critical that an operation was the only way forward. It is disappointing for him but the important thing was to get this operation done." The 26-year-old England international made nine appearances for the newly-crowned Premier League champions this season and was key to their penalty shoot-out victory over Tottenham Hotspur FC in the League Cup final at Wembley in March, superbly saving Jamie O'Hara's spot-kick.