MANCHESTER UNITED superkid Giuseppe Rossi is set for a shock
loan switch from Newcastle to Sunderland.
Old Trafford boss Alex Ferguson is unhappy at the 21-year-old
strikers lack of first-team chances at Toon. So Fergie is
recalling the Italy Under-21 star from St James Park and then
letting him join Newcastles North-East rivals, who are managed by
his old skipper Roy Keane.
Rossi has started only five games three Premiership and two
Carling Cup ties since joining Glenn Roeders Magpies last
August. His only goal was in the 3-0 League Cup win over Portsmouth
in October.
Keane has already been in touch with his old boss with the promise
of games for Rossi. And Keane will also try to persuade Fergie to
let him borrow centre-back Jonny Evans, who is already a Northern
Ireland cap at 19. Reds right-back Phil Bardsley, 21, whose loan at
Rangers was cut short after a bust-up, is already set for a loan
move to Sunderland. Ferguson is ready to allow the Rossi move to go
through because his squad has been buoyed by the arrival of striker
Henrik Larsson on loan from Swedish club Helsingborg.
Larsson, 35, will be available in the New Year and has already
impressed in training. He retired from top-flight football at the
end of last season when he left Barcelona to see out his career at
his home-town club.
But Ferguson has taken the one-time Celtic and Sweden star on loan
until the end of March and cannot wait to have Larsson available as
he aims to utilise his squad after a busy holiday programme. He
chopped and changed against Wigan on Boxing Day but needed to bring
on one of his stars in Cristiano Ronaldo to grab a 3-1 win.
United tomorrow face Reading, the side who gave Ferguson a title
boost by drawing 2-2 at Chelsea on Boxing Day. They will not be
underestimating former Red Steve Coppells men.
Ferguson said: We have to be wary. I wasnt surprised by the way
they performed, although I was delighted. It just reinforced what
we will have to do this weekend.
