Dong Fangzhuo is in line to make his Manchester United
debut after being called into the first-team squad. The Chinese
striker originally joined The Red Devils in 2004, but spent
two-and-a-half years on loan at Belgian feeder club Royal Antwerp.
He was given a work permit in December and, the following month,
was handed a contract to keep him at Old Trafford until
2010.
The youngster's progress is now due to continue with a possible
first-team appearance before the end of the season. Henrik
Larsson's return to Helsingborgs, allied to injuries to Louis Saha
and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, has prompted Sir Alex Ferguson to call
Dong into his plans.
"Dong will be coming into the squad," Ferguson told the club's
official website. "He has needed a lot of hard work and we've been
doing that. "He's got some terrific attributes. He's lightning
quick and has a marvellous physique. He's a very athletic boy. So
he'll be added to the pool."
United face Bolton Wanderers in the Premiership on Saturday and two
days later meet Middlesbrough in an FA Cup quarter-final
replay.
