Carlos Tevez scored four goals against Blackburn Rovers to send
Manchester United through to the semi-finals of the Carling Cup -
and yet he found himself on the bench for Sunderland's visit to Old
Trafford at the weekend.
The Argentine striker is becoming increasingly frustrated with
his bit-part role, and speculation over his future will continue to
swell as the January transfer window approaches.
But Sir Alex Ferguson said in The Sun: "I explained to
Carlos that if the team had not played so well in the previous
league match against Manchester City, then he would have
started.
"He understood exactly and when he came on against Sunderland he
brought a real energy."
However, there remains the long-term problem - if one can even
call it that - of United boasting three other world-class forwards
in Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov and Cristiano Ronaldo.
There was plenty of quizzical muttering when Berbatov moved
from Tottenham Hotspur at the end of the summer - not only due
to the less than graceful manner in which he left White Hart Lane,
but also because the Red Devils had so much attacking talent at
their disposal already.
And even Ferguson has admitted that he is yet to determined
whether all four players can be crammed into his starting XI.
"I would like to be able to do it but I’m not sure if we
can," the United boss said.
"Each player is certainly flexible enough to play in different
roles.
"It would make for a very attacking frontline. I have been
doodling on my notepad trying to work out how I can fit in all
these players."
Real Madrid and Inter Milan have been keeping tabs on Tevez, who
is yet to be offered a permanent contract by the Manchester giants.
His loan spell expires at the end of the season.