Terry is banned from playing for the club for the next three games for using racist language in a game last season.

"Players who have been at the club for a number of years like Terry, [Ashley] Cole, [Frank] Lampard and [Petr] Cech give them stability," said Ferguson.

"Continuity with their kind of experience must help the dressing room. Terry will be a loss for them because he has been such a dominating figure. He is their captain, he has experience and he can be a ruthless defender. His presence a lot of the time was the most important thing for them. You will always miss a player like that."