Northern Ireland international Jonny Evans could be released by Manchester United to have an operation on an ankle injury which has plagued him for the past 12 months.
It is expected United boss Sir Alex Ferguson will consider releasing the player after Rio Ferdinand's quicker-than-expected return to first-team duties.
While Ferdinand was always confident he would get over a calf problem in time to face Tottenham on Saturday, Ferguson was less sure his £29.1m central defender would make his first appearance of the season at White Hart Lane.
But the 30-year-old came through the entire 90 minutes as United recorded a notable early-season victory.
Ferdinand has also travelled to Istanbul as the Red Devils begin their quest to reach a third successive Champions League final against Besiktas on Tuesday night night.
With Wes Brown also back, Ferguson may now have the option to release Evans for an operation to solve his ankle problem.
The Northern Ireland international confirmed his position as the automatic stand-in for both Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic last season and performed admirably with both senior figures consigned to spells on the sidelines.
'Make your mark'
But the Belfast-born star has no intention of declaring himself part of the Old Trafford fabric just yet.
"You don't sit down after one game and think 'Oh, I'm a Manchester United player now'," he told Inside United.
"There are plenty of players who played even 100 games for this club and aren't remembered.
"You want to make your mark on the history of the club. It is only then you can walk away and say 'I made it at United'."
For Ferguson, Monday night's game against a Besiktas side hammered by Galatasaray at the weekend begins the rebuilding process after a summer of soul-searching.
Taken on its own, losing to Barcelona in Rome is not a cause for major recrimination.
Yet the comprehensive manner of defeat did cause Ferguson to stop and think.
"That night was disappointing," he said.
"You can look at reasons and excuses and it's always better to look at the reasons.
"If they are good reasons you can put that to the back of your mind and go away and live your life. If there were no reasons at all then we would be worried but I think there were valid reasons so we will move on.
"The problems can be put right and they certainly will be put right."
© Press Association