Chris Smalling will miss England's Euro 2012 campaign in Ukraine and Poland next month due to a torn groin muscle picked up in Manchester United's win at Swansea City last Sunday, though Danny Welbeck should be available, according to Sir Alex Ferguson.

The United manager said: "Chris Smalling has had a bad injury from last week. We tried to take him off but Rio [Ferdinand] got a knock and he decided he could stay on, he thought. Smalling is going to miss the Euro Championships – [with] a torn groin muscle that we are assessing at the moment in terms of what we do with it. But certainly he's got a bad injury."

While Ferguson said Ferdinand should be fit to face Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Sunday, the Scot confirmed that Welbeck's foot injury rules him out of the game, which United have to win while hoping Manchester City drop points at home to Queens Park Rangers.

"I can play Phil Jones back in there with Rio – so Rio's OK. Welbeck's still out but he should be fit for the European Championships," he said. "Other than that everyone's ready."