Scholes will sit out the match against Villarreal at Old Trafford on September 17 after being sent off in the 2-1 defeat by Zenit St Petersburg in the UEFA Super Cup.
The former England midfielder will serve a one-match ban after receiving a second yellow card for deliberate handball.
However Carrick is expected to continue his progress from an ankle injury over the international break and put himself in line for a date with the Spanish side.
Click here for the Carling Cup draw
Ferguson said: "Although we will miss Scholes for the first Champions League game, Michael Carrick will hopefully be fit by that time."
Zenit were good value for their win in Monaco and are aiming to test the best in the Champions League this season after winning the UEFA Cup and their domestic title.
While Ferguson was disappointed at the result against the Russians, he is confident United will be able to advance from the group stages. Celtic and the Danes of Aalborg also lie in wait.
He said: "It creates that little bit of spice because I am coming back to Glasgow.
"But looking at the overall group, we should be okay in terms of qualifying. We can progress."
With Carrick missing and Owen Hargreaves suffering a re-occurrence of a knee injury, United struggled to unlock Zenit on a humid night.
Performance
However Ferguson was heartened by the performance of Argentina forward Carlos Tevez, who put in a hard shift.
"I thought Tevez was the outstanding player on the pitch," said the United boss. "I thought he was fantastic, our best player.
"We had the best chances throughout the match. It was an open game and both teams did very well.
"We have put a good effort in on a warm night and there were a lot of tired players at the end of it."
Goals from Pavel Pogrebnyak and Danny gave Zenit a memorable victory.
Pogrebnyak scored a powerful header at the back post to leave United rattled a minute before half time.
Then Danny, a shrewd investment at 30million Euros, showed a touch of class in the 59th minute after shrugging off Rio Ferdinand to extend their lead.
Nemanja Vidic pulled a goal back in the 73rd minute but that was as good as it got for the Champions League winners.
Vidic said: "They are a very good team and certainly in the first half they were much better than us.
"It was hard to lose a goal so close to half time but I did not think we deserved to win the match.
"We had time to draw level after I scored but it was not to be and it is a bad result.
"Every game is important to us and we wanted more silverware. But it is important we focus again on the Premier League after the international break."
What did you make of the performance? Have your say.
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Showing comments 1 to 25 and replies | View All
manu expert (30/08/2008 at 13:23)
Barry Lee, USA (30/08/2008 at 14:42)
Django, Hampshire (30/08/2008 at 14:47)
The veteran players are another year older and look it, the permanently injured have not been replaced (although, with luck, one may be coming off the wage bill soon) and too many inadequate fringe players are having to play too many games.
Normally, the best clubs reinvest from a position of strength. After last season's double we were at the top of the tree and would still be close too it without the dire injury list.
However a glance at the bench in recent games proves how worryingly thin the squad has become. SAF will say that with all his players back we will be up there challenging again alright. His planning though seems to assume a largely healthy squad and meaningful contributions continuing from the likes of Neville, Giggs and Hargreaves when the evidence is they will be bit part players at best. At least Saha was discarded (though not yet replaced).
It's not been mentioned much but the credit crunch must have hit the Glazers hard. 30m still has to be found for Tevez and the cost of replacing Saha and Hargreaves and recruiting a high class right back could need spending approaching 100m. With debt repayments rising, this isn't going to happen. In other words we will be relying on luck rather than investment this season to stay close to the Chelseas and Barcelonas.
We may have to live on last season's memories for a while.
Pepe (30/08/2008 at 14:52)
Patrick McLOUGHLIN, North Carolina, USA (30/08/2008 at 15:39)
you have said it all..wish l had written this..absolutely spot on !!
Haakon (30/08/2008 at 15:51)
Rob86, manchester (30/08/2008 at 16:50)
Anderson is wasted in a deep position, especially alongside Scholes. I really would like to see him express himself a bit more freely and use his pace to run at defenders, I would hate to see his natural game coached out of him. Get Carrick back, get him anchoring the midfield with Hargo or Scholes and set Anderson free (I think that is Fergie's plan anyway).
When Ronaldo isn't playing the Tevez-Rooney partnership doesn't work as they drift apart to opposite sides of the pitch and noone from midfield fills the spaces left. When Ronaldo he dominates one flank and also gets inside the box, without another striker or midfielder getting forward (someone better than Fletcher) Tevez and Rooney are left isolated. When Ronaldo comes back, Anderson (our only midfielder capable of getting forward in central areas)is allowed to get forward and if Berba comes we'll be golden.
george (30/08/2008 at 17:46)
Red Culture (30/08/2008 at 19:08)
fazman, manchester (30/08/2008 at 19:51)
reddevil4ever, Chennai (30/08/2008 at 20:11)
Do you everything literally, George. As a United fan I pray to God that what he said does not transpire.
Yup,I can feel the frayed tempers with disappointment.
This site would like a farm of headless chickens if we went biting each others heads off.
Worse is to follow if we persist with SAF playing favourites with mediocre trash and an army of walking wounded.
How much did we pay for Hargo?
reddevil4ever, Chennai (30/08/2008 at 20:18)
Red Afro, Derby (30/08/2008 at 21:51)
Ba Ole (20 Legend), Lusaka, Zambia (30/08/2008 at 23:03)
30/08/2008 at 14:47
100m too much for Manchester? Despite winning about 80m from the Champion's League alone and more from the league? TV? Nike etc. We know there's a debt to be serviced but there is money for players, why are the papers saying we had a bid for David Silva and Berbatov at the same time? Money.
Steve, Glossop (31/08/2008 at 00:00)
Drifter, Mancunia (31/08/2008 at 02:24)
danny, WILMSLOW (31/08/2008 at 09:13)
Spurs’ interest in £7m-rated Campbell will break the summer-long deadlock between the two clubs and Berbatov is expected to finalise personal terms with United on Sunday.
United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is a firm fan of 20-year-old Campbell and recently insisted that “his future is with us”.
But after months of wrangling with Tottenham over Berbatov, sources close to the club say Fergie is ready to let Campbell go if it will clinch Berbatov’s signature.
Sport Of The World understands the deal was brokered when United chief executive David Gill met Spurs officials in Monaco last week after the Champions League and UEFA Cup draws.
If all the paperwork is completed before midnight on Monday Berbatov will be clear to make an explosive United debut against Liverpool at Anfield on September 13
Fredrik, Sweden (31/08/2008 at 11:44)
Wes is ok, and we have the DaSilva twins so there's no need to spend big here as we other more pressing areas to address.
Hargreaves' injury is a real concern. It's highly unlikely he will ever play three games in a row for us. Scholes is fading, he's still a good player but can he last a whole season?
We lack a winger with real pace. Nani is still raw, Park a squad player and Giggs is not a real threat any more.
Barry Lee, USA (31/08/2008 at 13:00)
keithmat (31/08/2008 at 14:39)
I think Rooney could play well there, just like McClair many years ago - one year leading goal scorer next attacking mid-field.
Anybody agree?
Ged_MCR_SINCE73, MCR (31/08/2008 at 15:53)
Always said Rooney would end up in the Scholesy role. I think he can actually tackle a little better too. He also picks up that Scholes position on corners with the potential to volley straight in ala V Bradford in 2000.
Not an out and out striker IMO!
Red Army!!
reddevil4ever, India (31/08/2008 at 16:03)
reddevil4ever, India (31/08/2008 at 16:07)
We are replacing one player for every two sold. What squad are gonna be left with?
Trafford13 (31/08/2008 at 16:50)
Red manc citys w**k (31/08/2008 at 18:02)