Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed he
expects to welcome Ruud van Nistelrooy back for pre-season training
on July 24.
The striker's Old Trafford future is open to severe doubt after his
public bust-up with Ferguson at the back end of last season, which
resulted in the 29-year-old being booted out of the team hotel by
Ferguson prior to the final Premiership game of the campaign
against Charlton and being told he was not welcome at Old Trafford
for Roy Keane's testimonial the following week.
Bayern Munich have already expressed an interest in Van Nistelrooy,
with Newcastle and Tottenham also apparently keen to sign the
former PSV Eindhoven player, whose World Cup also ended on a low
note when he was axed by Dutch coach Marco van Basten from the
Holland side defeated in acrimonious circumstances by Portugal in
the first knockout round.
Van Nistelrooy has been eager to seek talks on his United future
with Ferguson, with most pundits confidently predicting his 150th
goal for the club against Bolton in April will prove to be his
last.
However, in revealing a staggered pre-season campaign, with his
senior stars returning at different points in the summer, Ferguson
has included Van Nistelrooy in those he expects to see again.
'In most cases (the players involved in the World Cup) have got a
three-week holiday,' he told MUTV.
'The ones who will be reporting on July 24 after the knock-out
stages are Gary Neville, Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand, Gabriel
Heinze, Edwin van der Sar and Ruud van Nistelrooy. Park Ji-Sung
will be reporting back on July 18.'
It means that unless the situation changes, Van Nistelrooy will
link up with Ferguson following United's forthcoming three-match
tour of South Africa and could be involved in the friendly
encounters with Celtic and Preston on July 26 and 29.
Ferguson's other `problem' player, Portugal winger Cristiano
Ronaldo, is not due to return until seven days after Van
Nistelrooy, although he too could be an ex-Red by the time United
begin their Premiership campaign against Fulham on August 20.
Although most United fans are ambivalent about Ronaldo's
contribution to England's World Cup exit, the 21-year-old's
involvement in Wayne Rooney's dismissal in the quarter-final clash
has left a sour taste, while the winger risks being turned into
public enemy number one at English away grounds after being caught
winking at his bench in reaction to his United team-mate's red
card.
New Real Madrid coach Fabio Capello has welcomed Ronaldo's recent
statement of intent to move to the Bernabeu, without actually
saying he was willing to make a bid for the former Sporting Lisbon
star, so Ferguson could yet be forced to ensure the fragile peace
which now exists between Ronaldo and Rooney becomes a permanent
truce.
With none of his World Cup stars part of his squad to tour South
Africa, Ferguson will rely on a core of experience, including Ryan
Giggs, Paul Scholes, Wes Brown and John O'Shea, plus promising
youngsters such as Giuseppe Rossi, Gerard Pique and goalkeeper Ben
Foster.
Called onto Sven-Goran Eriksson's standby list prior to the World
Cup, Foster now looks certain to spend the season as Edwin van der
Sar's deputy rather than have his loan period extended with
Watford, who he helped gain promotion to the top flight last
term.
One man who will not be on the trip is Alan Smith, whose recovery
from a broken leg is going well but he is not deemed fit enough to
make the journey for a tour which includes games against the
Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs in Durban and Cape Town
respectively before a final encounter with the winner of a special
match between the South African pair.
'Alan is doing very well and we are very pleased with the
progress,' said Ferguson.
'But when he was injured in February we said he wouldn't play for
six or seven months so he won't be back until the end of August, or
early September.'
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=373446&cc=5739
Seems that Ruud Manchester United career still not over yet.