Gary Neville loves this part of the season the most.
Although Manchester United would not have chosen to head into
Saturday's crucial showdown with title rivals Chelsea without Wayne
Rooney, Sir Alex Ferguson's men are hardly likely to abandon all
hope of securing at least a draw that will keep them ahead of the
pack with five games remaining.
Even at 35, the thrill of a title race never fails to excite
Neville. And the in-form full-back knows every game is vital from
now on.
Hands up if you're excited: Gary Neville embodies
the spirit of Manchester United, especially when the title race
hots up
'This is the best part of the season,' he said. 'This is the
moment where you get to the crucial matches and every one is
important.
'You can't afford to lose at this stage of the season because it
can have a massive impact on where the trophies go.'
A combination of Chelsea's failure to win at Blackburn a
fortnight ago, and Arsenal's inability to retain their lead at
Birmingham last weekend, has provided United with some breathing
space.
It is not much though. And if they are incapable of making light
of Rooney's absence by avoiding defeat to Carlo Ancelotti's men,
the advantage will swing back Chelsea's way.
Loving it: Neville is adored by the fans following
years of total commitment to Manchester United
The question United fans will want to know is exactly what a
'minor ankle ligament injury' means in terms of time on the
sidelines for their best player, and someone who has contributed 34
goals to their surge for glory.
A timeframe of between two and four weeks has been
speculated.
The former would have Rooney available for a Champions League
semi-final against either Lyon or Bordeaux, should United get that
far, and the Manchester derby at Eastlands on April 17.
The latter would keep Rooney out until the penultimate-day trip
to Sunderland on May 1.
But the word 'minor' raises the potential for an even swifter
comeback and there is little doubt Ferguson would have Rooney on
the bench for next week's decider with Bayern if there was any
chance of him making a meaningful contribution.
Even talking in these terms will be a relief for Fabio Capello,
who must have feared the worst when he saw Rooney lying on the
pitch in obvious pain as Ivica Olic gave Bayern their win on
Tuesday night.
It now seems Rooney's participation, not just in the World Cup,
but also the build-up, is not being threatened, which Capello will
be delighted about, even if Ferguson's priority is far more
immediate.
With Rooney sidelined, the most obvious solution for will be for
Ferguson to place his trust in Dimitar Berbatov, given Michael Owen
and Danny Welbeck are already out for the season.
Indeed, Ferguson will probably be wrapping Berbatov up in cotton
wool as his only other available strikers are youngsters Federico
Macheda and Mame Biram Diouf.