David Moyes will not be distracted from his long-term vision for Manchester United no matter how extensive an injury list he ends up with.

Michael Carrick has already been ruled out for a number of weeks with an Achilles problem and Marouane Fellaini is facing 10 weeks on the sidelines given he requires wrist surgery.

More short term, Phil Jones has been ruled out of Sunday's trip to Cardiff, leaving Moyes short of central midfield options.

Yet even if the situation was to worsen, Moyes' assessment of his playing squad will not change.

Having been handed a six-year contract as Sir Alex Ferguson's successor, it is evident the Scot has adopted a similarly lengthy view as he plans for the future.

"This club is always thinking long-term," he said.

"I am thinking how are we going to have a side that is going to be competing in the Champions League and right at the top end of the Premier League in four or five years.

"It has to be a continual building process and we will continue to look to do that.

"You couldn't change it all around in any one (transfer) window anyway.

"It takes maybe two, three or four windows to do that."

It is why talk of a massive January spending spree may end up being wide of the mark.

"To make January sound as if that would be the place where everything would be cured and any problems would be resolved would be wrong," he said.

"It is not me saying we are not going to sign any players in January.

"We are going to try to if the opportunity is there.

"But it has to fit the right criteria. If it doesn't we will have to wait until the summer and see if we can get the players then."

It is a two-pronged process.

Pursuits of external targets such as Leighton Baines and Ander Herrera, both of whom have the additional benefit of being eligible for European football, making a transfer window move more attractive, is being combined with securing the futures of existing members of Moyes' squad.

Influential midfielder Carrick has extended his deal until 2015, with the option of an additional year, which would complete a decade of service since his £18million move from Tottenham.

Skipper Nemanja Vidic is also rumoured to be close to agreeing an extension, while fellow long-serving members of the squad, Patrice Evra and Wayne Rooney, also need their futures resolving.

There is good news on the injury front, however. United are set to welcome back Danny Welbeck, who has been missing for five weeks with a knee injury it was thought may require surgery.

Victory would push United back among the title contenders after a difficult start to the season, in which they lost three of their opening six fixtures and collected just seven points.

Moyes insisted he never considered his side to be out of the race.

However, even after the win over Arsenal a fortnight ago, he has not allowed himself to get carried away either.

"The previous manager had difficult starts and I am the same," he said.

"Maybe this level of media, 20 years on from Sir Alex is much greater and more intense. A slow start can happen to anybody. But at Manchester United it is going to make more news.

"My job is to try and win and we have not won as much as I would have liked.

"I want us to play much better. I want us to continue improving and there are certainly signs we are doing that.

"We are also climbing the table but I don't want to get carried away because of one win against Arsenal.

"Maybe come the end of the season, if I am in a really strong position and we have won a lot of games it is more likely I will say something much more positive."