While international breaks are often little more than a
hindrance to Sir Alex Ferguson’s plans, the United manager admits
the current gap in the domestic calendar is a welcome
reprieve.
Having sidled past Bolton last Saturday with a patched up
defence, the Reds’ depleted ranks were further thinned by the
dismissal of Jonny Evans and an injury to Wes Brown.
Although an international fixture list is always fraught with
the danger of more players succumbing to injury, the timely
breather should allow a handful of squad members time to progress
from treatment room to dressing room in time for next month's
resumption of domestic duties.
“It’s come at an absolutely fantastic time for us,” Sir Alex
told MUTV. “We’ve got the bonus of two weeks’ rest
to patch up the injuries, and hopefully that'll be the biggest
break of all.”
United go into the Premier League sabbatical with a five-point
lead at the head of the table and Sir Alex feels the swelling of
his playing roster can prove the difference in an absorbing title
race.
“It’s a great lead,” he said. “Obviously they’ve got a game in
hand, Arsenal, but we’ve got the points and we don’t need to worry
about that part. If we get the players back, all our major players
we’ll have a great chance.
“I’d have loved to have given Ji-sung Park a bit of game
(against Bolton), but when we went to 10 men we were hamstrung a
bit there, but I get Ji back in two weeks’ time, away at West Ham.
Vidic will be back, Darren Fletcher hopefully will be back and
hopefully if, bit by bit, we can get them all together we’ll have a
great chance.”
