Sir Alex has confirmed he may make a number of changes to his
United line-up for Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final against Everton at
Wembley.
The boss says that Wednesday’s Champions League win in Porto,
and its high-speed nature against tough opponents, took a lot out
of his players.
“It was gruelling and there was never any period where it was
comfortable. It was always played at a high tempo and credit to
Porto they kept going,” he said. “The pressing of the ball from
both teams was the best I’ve seen in Europe for a long time.
“There is a subsequent loss of energy in some parts of my team;
I need to recognise that and make some changes on Sunday because
it’s a big game.”
Darren Fletcher, who missed the Reds’ trip to Portugal, should
return but Sir Alex faces a decision on the match-readiness of
Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick. “There aren’t any serious
injuries, but we’ve got quite a few bumps and bruises. Rooney got a
knock, and Carrick got an ankle knock, but nothing serious. The
good news is Fletcher has trained in the last few days and he
should be OK for Sunday.”
Another boost is the return to full training of Wes Brown. He
could taste action on Monday night when the Reserves play Preston
North End in the Lancashire Senior Cup semi-final.
“Wes started training with the first team today, which is great
news for us. I’m contemplating playing him in the Reserves on
Monday. It’s maybe a bit early, but given the time of the season
and the importance of the games coming up we may rush him back a
little bit. It’s a thought for Monday. Other than that everybody is
fine.
“It’d be great to have him available, it would give us options
with Gary Neville and young Rafael back. Rafa’s looking fantastic
in training actually. That would give us support in the back four
positions.”
The resumption of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic’s key alliance
at the heart of United’s defence was also a major bonus for the
Reds. “When you see the back four coming together, with Rio back
alongside Vidic and a bit of freshness in the team, it made a hell
of a difference to our performance. That was the foundation of the
win, I think.
“I actually thought the watershed was last weekend against
Sunderland. We defended well and got back to something like our
best. We need to be at our best now, and that showed on Wednesday –
we were on top form. We take encouragement from it.
“Rio’s experience and composure under pressure at this time of
year really helps,” he added. “But, more than that, I think it’s
the consistency of the partnership with Vidic. I keep going back to
it, but Steve Bruce and Gary Pallister played for seven or eight
years together and hardly missed a game. Through that they got
consistency, understanding and a knowledge of each other’s
capabilities.
“That’s the same with Rio and Vida. But it’s also about presence
within the team; Ferdinand and Vidic’s presence on Wednesday was
outstanding.”