Tomasz Kuszczak could find himself in the firing line for
Manchester United on Sunday as Sir Alex Ferguson awaits news of a
fitness report on Edwin van der Sar. The veteran Dutchman failed to
play any part in his country's friendly defeat to Switzerland in
Geneva on Wednesday night after injuring his left foot in a
training ground collision with Dirk Kuyt.
While the damage was not serious enough to force van der Sar into
an immediate flight back to the north west, he must be a major
doubt for Spurs' visit to Old Trafford, when United will be looking
to get their Premier League title defence up and running after a
stuttering start which has seen them collect just two points from
their opening three games.
If van der Sar does not make it, Kuszczak will step in for only his
seventh league start since arriving from West Brom at the start of
last term. The Poland international at least has the benefit of
some recent match practice, having completed the second half of his
country's friendly draw with England's Euro 2008 qualifying rivals
Russia in Moscow on Wednesday.
Sunday's encounter represents the second game of Ronaldo's
three-match ban so, with Wayne Rooney also missing, Scholes will
once again be a key figure in United's quest for an eagerly-awaited
first win. Given the week they have endured, Tottenham would appear
to be perfect opponents. Yet, no matter who is lined up against
them, Scholes is confident United have a squad that will eventually
gel into a winning unit.
"We have signed four new players in the summer and it is just going
to take a little bit of time for them to settle," he told MUTV. "I
know supporters expect everyone to gel straightaway but it is not
that simple. "They are coming to a new club, finding new houses and
meeting new people, which cannot be the easiest thing in the world.
"You only have to look at someone like Didier Drogba. It took him a
year to settle in at Chelsea but since then he has been fantastic.
And there are many more examples like that."
