Owen strains groin, faces 3 weeks on sidelines

Michael Owen faces three weeks on the sidelines after straining his groin and lasting just 20 minutes of Manchester United's Champions League match against Wolfsburg on Wednesday. 

The striker, who has been trying to shake off his reputation as injury-prone since joining from Newcastle in the offseason, had been handed a rare start by manager Alex Ferguson despite not training Tuesday.

"With a groin injury it is difficult to say (how long he will be out), maybe two or three weeks," Ferguson. "But his fitness levels are good so we shouldn't need to worry too much about that.

"We will treat it as a normal groin injury, I think he will be all right so I'm not worried about it."

United came from behind to beat Wolfsburg 2-1 with all the goals coming in the second half.

Manchester United 2 Wolfsburg 1

Manchester United came from behind at Old Trafford to beat an impressive Wolfsburg side and take command of Group B in the Champions League. 

The Germans played their part in a lively game and went ahead when Edin Dzeko headed in Makoto Hasebe's cross.

But United hit back immediately, Ryan Giggs scoring his 150th goal for the club as his free-kick was deflected in.

Wayne Rooney fired narrowly over before Michael Carrick kept his cool to curl in the winner from the edge of the box.

It was what United deserved for a powerful display against very capable opponents, with victory sending them three points clear at the top of their group.

But they did not have it all their own way and had to match Wolfsburg's powerful physical threat before their superior quality could show.

In the build-up to the game, the Bundesliga champions had vowed to attack, coach Armin Veh promising they would not wait until they fell behind to impose their style on the game.

And he was true to his word as the visitors almost got off to a flier, Nemanja Vidic's lazy header seized upon by Grafite and Christian Gentner firing at keeper Tomasz Kuszczak when he should have done better.

Zvjezdan Misimovic was pulling the strings for Wolfsburg, Grafite was proving more than a match for both Vidic and Rio Ferdinand and the Germans looked dangerous.

Dzeko fired wide from long range after another defensive lapse, but soon after there was a turning point at the other end as Michael Owen - in front of the watching England manager Fabio Capello - limped off after 20 minutes with a groin injury.

His replacement, Dimitar Berbatov, had a dramatic impact on proceedings, immediately enlivening United with his clever touches and visionary passing.

One audacious backheel sent Luis Valencia through, but the Ecuadorian dragged badly wide of the far post, before Berbatov sublimely slipped in Carrick only for Diego Benaglio to save his shot with his outstretched right foot.

It was all United and they continued their assault on the Wolfsburg goal after the break as Rooney teed up Anderson, the Brazilian's curling shot brilliantly parried away by Benaglio.

Dzeko's thumping header put Wolfsburg in front after the break

To their credit Wolfsburg never stopped attacking, and with 56 minutes on the clock they stunned Old Trafford by taking the lead as Hasebe clipped in a cross for the towering Dzeko to thump in a header.

Far from panicking, United continued to press and it took them only three minutes to equalise, albeit in fortuitous circumstances.

Anderson was brought down 20 yards out and Giggs' free-kick took a wicked deflection off Gentner, completely wrongfooting Benaglio and bouncing into the far corner.

United sensed a chance to compound Wolfsburg's frustration and Rooney almost delivered, curling a right-foot cracker only inches over from the edge of the box.

Instead they had to wait until 12 minutes from time, Giggs laying the ball off to Carrick for the midfielder to calmly slot past Benaglio from the edge of the area.

Wolfsburg continued to plough forward as they had done all night, but their search for an equaliser ended in vain.

Wayne Rooney still short of elite trio, says United's manager

Sir Alex Ferguson challenges the 23-year-old to match the world's top three players.

Five years to the week since Wayne RooneyManchester UnitedChampions League hat-trick against Fenerbahce, the England international will make his 50th European appearance tomorrow night, with Sir Alex Ferguson challenging him to show that he can reach the levels of Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaká and Lionel Messi. announced his arrival at with a

Rooney has scored seven in nine games for United this season and has noticeably taken on more responsibility since the departure of Ronaldo but Ferguson, though generous in his praise, believes his striker still comes up short. "Kaká, Ronaldo and Messi are the best three at the moment and I think Wayne can get to that level if he keeps making progress," he said. "That's the challenge for him now. There are some great players there."

There are some United supporters who would argue that Rooney already deserves to be considered at that level but Ferguson is mindful of the fact that the 23-year-old has sometimes drifted out of matches. "Wayne has had some fantastic games in Europe and, to be honest, some disappointing games," he added. "European football is a challenge. These are the best teams and every player has to reach that challenge in the sense of [creating] their stature in the game. It's not an easy competition."

By that, Ferguson was highlighting the fact that Ronaldo, Messi and Kaká have flourished in the Champions League whereas Rooney has been more erratic. In total, he has scored 16 European goals going into tomorrow's game at home to Wolfsburg, the German champions regarded by Ferguson as "probably the main danger to qualifying".

However, Ferguson also pointed out that Rooney is still not in his peak years. The United manager remembered Rooney's debut, in a 6-2 win, as a "remarkable feat", not least as the player had been injured and not played for 10 weeks. "His progress has at no point disappointed us," he said. "When we signed him as a kid we thought he would become a really top player and he is going in that direction, without question. He is blessed with certain ingredients that only great players have. He has that hunger and determination.

"Roy Keane, Bryan Robson, Steve Bruce – we have had countless players with that great desire. These players want to win every match and every training session. Wayne is blessed with that and that will never change. He is blessed because these are wonderful things to take into a game these days. You sometimes wonder about the criticism about the money players get but then when you look at the amount of effort Wayne puts into his work then he is worth every penny. He plays as if he means it and it's a wonderful thing to have."

Rooney is benefiting from an extended run in the central attacking position but Ferguson believes there are other reasons behind the player's maturing performances, most notably his marriage in June 2008. "Marriage helps footballers," the manager said. "I have always thought that. I am an advocate of that [marriage] because it helps them settle down."

Having beaten Besiktas at the Inonu stadium in Istanbul 15 days ago, United go into tomorrow in a position of strength in Group B. Ferguson, however, is not sure if Michael Owen will be available, the striker having missed training for two days with a groin problem. He has been impressed by what he has seen of Wolfsburg. "The most amazing thing is that if you look at the history of German football over the last umpteen years then you will find that Wolfsburg haven't even figured. The fact they won it [the Bundesliga] last season and the goals they scored is amazing."

Wolfsburg have two outstanding strikers, the Bosnian Edin Dzeko and the Brazilian Grafite. Between them they managed 71 goals last season, including 54 in 34 league games, breaking the Bundesliga record set by Gerd Müller and Uli Hoeness for Bayern Munich 36 years ago. "It's an incredible total," Ferguson said. "So they do score goals, but they also lose them. Even their game at the weekend was 4–2 so they do have interesting matches. But they are positive and we admire that. Their beliefs are the same as ours and it could turn out to be a very open game."

United are likely to be without Park Ji-sung, who has been suffering from a virus, but Ferguson reported that Patrice Evra should be available despite feeling unwell since the win at Stoke City that put them top of the Premier League.

How the 'big four' compare in the Champions League

Wayne Rooney

Games 48 Goals 16

Made a thrilling Champions League debut aged 18, scoring a hat-trick in a 6-2 demolition of Fenerbahce. Five subsequent seasons have seen Rooney play in various positions across the front line. Failed to make much impression in his two finals in 2008 and 2009. When it comes to individual awards has yet to add to his BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year award in 2002

Kaká Games 53 Goals 22

Fifa world player of the year in 2007 and a £68.5m transfer to Real Madrid from Milan in the summer. Kaká joined Milan in 2003 and dominated the first half of the the 2005 Champions League final as Milan went into a 3-0 lead before losing on penalties. Two years later Kaká finished as top scorer in the competition with 10 goals as Milan beat Liverpool in the final

Cristiano Ronaldo Games 56 Goals 18

A Champions League winner along with Rooney in 2008, scoring the first goal against Chelsea in the final, but missing his penalty in the shoot-out. Has a trophy cabinet groaning with personal gongs: including two football writers' player of the year awards, a brace of PFA player of the years, the Ballon d'Or for 2008 and the Fifa world player for 2008. Notably versatile, scoring in Europe from both wings and in the centre. One black mark: a petulant and ineffective display in last season's final against Barcelona

Lionel Messi Games 30 Goals 17

By a distance the player of last season's Champions League, right, top scorer with nine goals and a goal in the final against United. Already looks a shoo-in for this season's European and world player trophies. A year younger than Rooney and Ronaldo but already perhaps the most feared player in Europe Barney Ronay

Manchester United v VfL Wolfsburg: Preview

 Where: Old Trafford - Manchester, England
When: Wednesday, September the 30th, 2009
KO: 19:45 (BST)
Match: CL Group B - Round 2

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has tipped Wayne Rooney to gatecrash the elite trio currently monopolising world football.

Rooney is set to make his 50th European appearance tomorrow when Manchester United entertain German champions Wolfsburg in Champions League Group B.

His first three goals for United came in a dramatic debut-night hat-trick against Fenerbahce in the Champions League, heralding his £27million arrival from Everton.

Although there have been moments Rooney has cause to regret, not least his red card for sarcastically applauding referee Kim Milton Nielsen in Villarreal, at no point has the 23-year-old given Ferguson any other belief than he is destined for the top.

The United boss feels Rooney has some work to do before he can be put into the same bracket as Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo, who were crowned world player of the year in the last two seasons, and Lionel Messi, who is set to receive the honour this autumn.

But he has no doubts the Merseysider will get there eventually.

"Wayne could easily get to that level,'' said Ferguson.

"It was a pretty remarkable feat to get that hat-trick and his progress has never disappointed us at any point since.

"When we signed him as a kid, we thought he would become a really top player. Without question he is going in that direction.

"He is blessed with some ingredients only great footballers have.

"He has a great determination and hunger to win every match and every training session. That will never change.

"Sometimes there is criticism about the amounts footballers get paid. But when you see the effort he puts in, he is worth every penny.

"He plays as if he means it. It is a wonderful thing to have.''

Wolfsburg coach Armin Veh, meanwhile, insists his team "will not hide'' at Old Trafford tomorrow.

The Wolves stunned German football last season by holding off the challenges of far better known rivals to clinch the Bundesliga.

Their reward is a Champions League debut and, after opening their campaign by defeating CSKA Moscow, they are now preparing to enter one of the citadels of the game.

Veh admits he cannot be sure how his team will react, but he does not expect any sense of inferiority. And neither does he feel they will be scared.

"Old Trafford is a special ground and Manchester United is a very special club,'' said Veh.

"They have played over 150 games in this competition and we have only had a couple.

"But we will not hide and I won't be losing any sleep thinking about it.

"It is impossible to say for certain whether the players will be inspired or afraid. But I do know we cannot afford to wait until Manchester United have scored four or five goals before we start to impose our own style on the match.''

Veh is not expecting a problem. In fact, he feels a myth has grown up around Old Trafford.

"When people talk about atmospheres, the best ones are in Germany,'' he added.

"We experience those crowds every week, so in describing the atmosphere at Old Trafford, it is more to do with the legend of United, rather than the stadium itself.''

Wedding bells for Evans?

Sir Alex Ferguson, always keen to encourage his players to settle down, today demanded central-defender Jonny Evans’ girlfriend “tie him down” in marriage. After demanding that Wayne Rooney marry – then procreate with – Coleen MCloughlin, Ferguson wants the Northern Irish star to walk the aisle. The Manchester United manager has long held-true that married players are less apt to get into trouble.

“I’ve always been an advocate of players being married and settled down. You know where they are. It’s good for the stability of a footballer to be married,” joked Ferguson at his pre-Champions League press conference today.

Evans, next to Ferguson, claimed to “not want to talk about it” in front of his girlfriend, sat at the press conference.

Ferguson had earlier talked about Evans progression as a footballer. Falsely accused of rape after a drunken Christmas party got out of hand in 2007, the Belfast-born player rode the storm to become a stalwart of the United defence. He has regularly filled in for the injured Rio Ferdinand and made 31 appearances in total last season, including the Carling Cup final.

“Sometimes I don’t know whether I am doing the right thing leaving Jonny out because his performance level has been so high,” said Ferguson.

“At times I have been unfair to him. But he is still young. He has a great future here and time will come when I have to put him in.

“The great thing about footballers and young players in particular is that one summer they come back and they are a different player.

“They have a different physique and they tell you by their performance that it is time for them to go into the team.

“It has happened countless times at this club and I would think it is a great worry for any experienced player that one of their own is going to take their place,” Ferguson noted.

The perennially injured Rio Ferdinand, take note.

As for the proposal, no doubt the bachelors in the United squad will remind Evans that marriage isn’t a word, it’s a sentence.

Manchester United player to teach children about being healthy

Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin Van der Sar has officially launched a project, in partnership with the Food Standards Agency (FSA), to encourage school children to eat healthily and live a more balanced lifestyle.

Local school children, teachers, FSA representatives and some famous faces from the world of football attended the launch at the Old Trafford stadium.

The project, called 'Something to Chew On', uses Manchester United players to teach primary school children about being healthy. The Manchester United Foundation has received the funding to develop the project over three years and will work in partnership with the FSA, local and regional healthy schools teams, and local authorities.

Each school in which the Foundation delivers Something to Chew On will receive a full teacher resource pack so that the project will be sustainable for future pupils.

Van der Sar said: "Aspiring to have and maintaining a balanced lifestyle for children and families is a message that is very important to me. Every day I get up with my kids and we eat breakfast together. I will usually have some sandwiches and my kids might have cereal.
'I have been impressed with the Something to Chew On programme and I'm very pleased to be so involved."

Something to Chew On, which is funded by the FSA and the Premier League/Professional Footballers' Association Community Fund, was piloted in Salford schools last year. The programme uses an interactive approach to teaching children about keeping healthy and covers food, nutrition and getting active, but with a football focus.

The FSA will look to make the programme national in 2010.

Revealed: Why Manchester United struggle against German sides

You would think that Sir Alex Ferguson's troops would be defending their territory against the Germans on Wednesday evening full to the brim with confidence, based on their sterling Champions League record under his reign.

However, take one look at the stats and last year's finalists could be set for a rude awakening against the new Bundesliga boys on the bloc.

Wolfsburg have emerged as a genuine threat in the top tier of European football, thanks to their first German title win last season.

Manager Armin Veh has a potent mix of defensive durability and attacking verve at his disposal to delight the fans at the Volkswagen Arena.

So much so that Ferguson's experienced campaigners will be hard pressed to reverse a poor record against German opposition in Uefa's showpiece event as our table below shows.

They have only managed to beat German sides four times in 15 Champions League games, an astonishing statistic when you consider their success in the competition overall.

The fact that one of their Champions League triumphs came against Bayern Munich in the nerve shredding 1999 final is even more surprising, Teddy and Ole's injury-time goals the difference.

Arsenal and Chelsea haven't fared that much better since the format switched from the European Cup, Liverpool's four wins in six games the only sustained spell of British achievement.

United have drawn six and lost five of their games, a slender goal difference of one doing little to cover over the 27 per cent victory rate.

With the Red Devils winning 53 per cent of their Champions League matches overall, it could well be that Ryan Giggs and co start boosting their win column sooner rather than later.

However Brazilian Grafite became the oldest player, aged 30, to notch a Champions League debut hat-trick last time out against CSKA Moscow.

Add prolific Bosnian strike partner Edin Džeko to the mix and Ferguson's men have it all to do at Old Trafford on Wednesday night. 

Paul Scholes sees good old days return as Sir Alex Ferguson’s midfield maestro

The ravages of time appeared to be catching up with Paul Scholes last season. The mistimed tackles have always been a fixture of the Manchester United midfield player’s game, even in his pomp, but troublingly, a little carelessness had crept into his passing and too often he was bypassed by opponents as he struggled to gain a foothold in games.

That was last season and the indifferent spell prompted some to wonder if the time was right for Scholes to bow out with his head still held high, before the demands of the Barclays Premier League — a competition with a growing emphasis on pace and power — became too much altogether. This season, it is an entirely different story.

At 34, Scholes may never quite rediscover the majestic scoring touch that had every leading figure in European football, from Zinédane Zidane to Marcello Lippi, salivating, but the hallmark of his game down the years — brisk, incisive passing of unerring accuracy — has been beautifully, if unexpectedly, restored.

Scholes is the most accurate passer in the top flight this season. A remarkable 92.6 per cent of his 309 attempted passes have been successful, a statistic that helps to explain why he has overtaken Michael Carrick and Anderson as being Sir Alex Ferguson’s first choice in the centre of midfield alongside Darren Fletcher.

There is no obvious explanation for the improvement, but it is clear that the attempts by United’s coaching to wrap Scholes in cotton wool have had their part to play. Whether it was a deliberate ploy on Ferguson’s behalf to coax a little extra from him is hard to say, but the offer of special treatment carries a whiff of a Help the Aged campaign in the player’s eyes and, as such, has been greeted as some sort of personal affront.

“You still want to impress, but the coaches are always asking how you feel and whether you want to take a day off here or there,” Scholes said yesterday.

Scholes was at his imperious best during United’s 2-0 win over Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday. Tony Pulis, the Stoke manager, described him as “the best player on the pitch by a country mile” and the statistics supported the assertion. Of the 85 passes Scholes made, 80 were successful.

It has been a similar tale in the midfield player’s other outings this term. Against Birmingham City in United’s opening game, 93.2 per cent of his passes were accurate. Ninety per cent of his passes reached their intended targets against Wigan Athletic at the DW Stadium and 91.1 per cent of them against Tottenham Hotspur before his controversial sending-off for two bookable offences at White Hart Lane.

The figures demonstrate why Ferguson has tended to use Scholes on United’s travels, when the importance of retaining possession arguably becomes even greater. The one away league match Scholes has missed this season — against Burnley at Turf Moor last month — United lost.

He may play a little deeper now and no longer ghost into the box with the frequency he did in his youth, but Scholes’s ability to hit all manner of passes is evidenced by him being the most accurate short passer in the league this season — 96.09 per cent of his 256 attempted short passes have been successful — and second only to Tom Huddlestone, the Tottenham Hotspur midfield player, in terms of successful long passes.

Carrick’s overall pass completion rate (82.8 per cent) and Anderson’s (72.7) are far inferior while not even England’s first-choice midfield players — Frank Lampard (72.3), Steven Gerrard (70.6) and Gareth Barry (68.1) — get close to Scholes’s record.

It was 15 years to the day last Monday since Scholes made his debut for United, but while his form has already led Ferguson to suggest that he may earn another contract once his present one expires at the end of the season, the player is reluctantly beginning to look to the future and said he plans to start his coaching courses imminently.

“I’m going to give coaching a go and see how it goes,” he said. “I’ll probably start looking at that in the next couple of weeks and see how I feel doing that.”

By James Ducker

Foster ready to repay faith

Ben Foster has revealed the debt of gratitude he owes to Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

There was widespread speculation that Foster would be dropped for Saturday's Premier League win at Stoke after a poor performance in the Mnachester derby. Yet at the first available opportunity, Ferguson insisted he was sticking with the 26-year-old and was rewarded with a clean sheet as United defeated Stoke 2-0 at the Britannia Stadium to go top for the first time this season.

"I have to say a big thanks to the boss for sticking by me," said Foster. "Last Sunday was great for the team but personally, it was an absolute disaster. I was gutted afterwards. I was the only one in the changing room with an upside down smile on his face."

The torment continued long into the week as professional and amateur analysts had their say. Foster could have driven himself mad by pouring over every damning word. Instead, he chose to ignore it all.

"I pretty much buried my head in the sand," he said. "I didn't really want to watch the television and there was no way I was reading the papers the next day."

Not that Foster could escape scrutiny. But the assessments that mattered were kept within United's Carrington training complex as goalkeeping coach Eric Steele delivered his withering verdict.

"When we got into training I had to face up to it," he said. "I had to look at the replays, analyse them and learn from them.

"The goalkeeping coach has been on at me all week and was really hard on me. But I needed that and I like to think I have learnt from it. You are going to have those days as a goalkeeper sometimes and you have to keep them to a minimum."

As Foster acknowledges, mental fortitude is one of the major reasons why Edwin van der Sar has lasted so long at the top. Van der Sar makes mistakes like everybody else. His big advantage is not being affected by them.

"The more you play the more concentration and consistency you develop," he said. "Edwin is a typical example of Mr Cool. He is a fantastic professional and he is someone I want to emulate at Manchester United. He is exactly what I am aiming to be for years to come."

Evra tips Fabio for the top

Manchester United defender Patrice Evra has backed fellow left-back Fabio da Silva following the youngster's sending-off in the Carling Cup, tipping the Brazilian to become one of the club's greatest ever players. 

The 19-year-old has made just five appearances for the Red Devils in all competitions since arriving - along with twin brother Rafael - from Fluminense in 2008.

However, the left-back's League Cup debut against Wolves last week turned sour after just 30-minutes, with the starlet dismissed for a professional foul on Michael Kightly at Old Trafford.

Sir Alex Ferguson's side went on to win the tie 1-0 courtesy of Danny Welbeck's second-half strike.

And Evra, United's first-choice left-back, has revealed he was quick to comfort the disappointed defender both during and after the game.

"It was painful for him, and it touched my heart," he told the club's official website.

"I went down to speak to him in the dressing room at half-time and then again at full-time, just to say, ‘It’s ok, these things happen, just carry on and look forward'.

"I love Fabio, he’s a great left-back and I think a lot of people need to trust in him.

"I have trust in him and I think he can be one of the best left-backs Manchester United has ever had."

United star embodies the team and acts as a symbol for its mentality

Football FanCast columnist Alex Rowland feels that the summer departures have simply galvanised the football club, not to mention improved team spirit.

 

Two big players left Old Trafford this summer and we all know about their goal scoring records and inside leg measurements etc. but what many pundits, journalists and fans in the Middle East who were absorbed by United's previous number 7 didn't know, is that there is still a team there capable of performing at the highest level. 

With United, after Saturday's efficient 2-0 win at Stoke City, sitting, if not all that pretty, at the peak of the Premier League, maybe it is time to start realising that trophies can be won. 

One of the possible benefits of losing two high profile and want-away players is an improved team spirit. We now have Rooney as the team's heartbeat, where a Portuguese once stood; a big game player with an unrivalled work-rate and selflessness. He embodies the team and acts as a symbol for United's mentality.  

Players such as Vidic, Scholes, Giggs and Park won't leave a drop of sweat in their bodies when rampaging around the pitch, and Fletcher and O'Shea continue to amaze. It took them both long enough to earn appreciation from the terraces but now that the Scotland captain is the first midfielder on the team sheet and the Irish defender is filling in aptly for the walking wounded at right back the fans are starting to admire their resilient qualities. 

Add to that bits of good football from Berbatov, Nani and Valencia that could be ironed out into weekly performances, and a fit Rio Ferdinand, and the team could be challenging for every major honour.  

There are problems to address, without doubt. Foster is not yet a reincarnate of Van De Sar's professional solidity. The English goalkeeper has produced some phenomenal saves, especially against Robin Van Persie in the smash and grab 2-1 victory at home to Arsenal, but he is prone to mistakes and inconsistent levels of confidence. To say that he is a good shot stopper, playing for the country's best team in the last three years, points more to his faults than ability.  

Ferdinand's form is also more than a concern, as is his injury record. He hasn't played two games in a row in what seems like years and his back is as fragile as Ledley King's knee. He was exploited for pace by Bellamy in the last minute of that thrilling Manchester derby, but a lack of speed is never something associated with the 30 year old centre back. Hopefully he can overcome this period of niggles and return to his best.  

Despite some dodgy areas however, the team is looking strong. Rotation, mainly in midfield, seems to be paying dividends for Fergie and it will be something he will adopt all season in order to challenge for domestic and European honours. At the start of the season United seemed to some to be weaker, but the mantra remains the same; never right them off.

Patricio linked with United move

Sporting Lisbon goalkeeper Rui Patricio is the latest shot-stopper to be linked with a move to Manchester United, according to reports. 

The Red Devils are reportedly interested in a string of glove-men as potential replacements for 38-year-old Dutchmen Edwin van der Sar, who recently revealed that this season may be his last at Old Trafford, saying:

“I’ve said for a few years that it sometimes may be my last season.

“I wait each season to see how or where I stand, if everyone is happy and if I can get motivated.

“I know, because I always get older, it is increasingly likely that this will be my last season."

CSKA Moscow stopper Igor Andreev, Schalke custodian Manuel Neuer and Lazio youngster Fernando Muslera have already been linked with a move to Sir Alex Ferguson's side.

And, according to Record, 21-year-old Sporting goalkeeper Rui Patricio could be on his way to the Theatre of Dreams, following in the footsteps of Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani.

The 6ft 2in guardian has made 50 league appearances for the Lisbon giants, but has yet to make his international debut for Portugal despite being named in the national squad for the 2008 European Championships.

Fergie ready to swoop for the 'New Zidane'

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has enquiried about the services of Grenoble youngster Sofiane Feghouli, dubbed the 'New Zidane.' The French starlet, 18 years-old, is one of French football's most promising youngsters, already linked with Paris Saint Germain, Barcelona and Real Madrid last summer.

The French youngster has already made 55 appearances for the Ligue 1 side since making his debut in 2007. Feghouli is eligible to play for France and Algeria, and has been courted by both national team managers, Raymond Domenech and Rabah Saadane. Despite a number of phone calls from Saadane to convince the starlet to play for Algeria, the attacking midfielder is currently involved in the France Under–21 set up - making three appearances.

Wolfsburg to hunt United

ITV Spy: Wolfsburg's Misimovic could spell misery for United  

The UEFA Champions League returns to ITV this Wednesday night with a true clash of champions: Wolfsburg, who claimed the Bundesliga title last season to book their first entry into the competition, face Manchester United in a mouth-watering tie at Old Trafford.

Sir Alex Ferguson will be under no illusions about how tough this game is going to be.

Wolfsburg may have had a relatively slow start to their domestic title defence, being placed sixth after seven games - but a hat-trick from Brazilian striker Grafite saw off CSKA Moscow on Matchday 1 and the German outfit will arrive at Old Trafford brimming with confidence.

Grafite and Edin Dzeko may grab the headlines with most of the goals for Wolfsburg, but Bosnia-Herzigovina playmaker Zvjezdan Misimovic is a man United will have to watch closely.

Don't be surprised to see United's ballwinner Darren Fletcher deployed to man-mark the scheming Misimovic in an attempt to keep him quiet and cut off the supply lines to the Wolsburg strikers.

Portsmouth fans will have horrible memories of Misimovic: as they crashed out of the UEFA Cup last season against Wolfsburg, Misimovic made James look very silly indeed as he intercepted an attempted pass before slotting the ball into an empty net.

Ben Foster today thanked boss Sir Alex Ferguson for sticking by him after his horror show at Manchester City last weekend - he should stay away from that particular YouTube clip before Wednesday night.

'Next Essien' in Fergie and Wenger come and get me plea

Rosenborg midfielder Anthony Annan has issued a come and get me plea to Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. 

The 23-year-old Ghanaian midfielder has drawn comparisons to international team mate, Michael Essien, and is set to partner the Chelsea midfielder at the heart of the Black Stars midfield in the African Nations Cup and World Cup in South Africa next summer.

Annan invited the Red Devils and Gunners to show an interest in his services after being compared to Michael Essien. He told Sky Sports:
"He has everything, class, power, touch, stamina, what a player, to compare him to me? People are crazy. I learn a lot alongside him, he is simply awesome.

"To me, to be followed by Arsenal and Man United, they are two great teams. I just won the league here let me enjoy it and we will see in the future.

"I can't wait to represent Ghana in South Africa, but in January we need to go for the African Nations Cup."
Annan is touted as another great product of African football and is highly regarded among European clubs, having already had trials earlier in his career at Blackburn Rovers and Everton.

Can Darren Fletcher reach double digits in goals this year?

Fletcher: United Liberated by Ronaldo Departure

When Cristiano Ronaldo left Old Trafford over the summer, almost all of football’s top pundits predicted gloomy days for the Red Devils. 

Following some inspired performances by Wayne Rooney and Ryan Giggs, United find themselves at the top of the table, and unsung hero Darren Fletcher has emerged as a key figure in Sir Alex Ferguson’s side.

Fletcher, meanwhile, claims that United’s success is in large part down to Ronaldo’s departure. The Scottish captain told The Sunday Telegraph that the Premier League leaders are liberated without their former Portuguese star.

“The manager has pointed out that Ronaldo has gone and that is a huge goal difference that we need to fill. As players, we all have to rise to the challenge,” said Fletcher.

“Ronaldo was good for us, but a lot of players sacrificed themselves for Cristiano too. In a lot of games, I’d be asked to play in central midfield but, whenever he went forward, I’d have to get out to the right to cover him.

“Maybe, now we have got back to 4-4-2, where everybody drops back as a four, it gives the midfielders more opportunity to bomb forward.

“I’d like to think I can get double figures this season because, in this team, you are always likely to get chances if you can get into the box.”

Carling Cup: Reds to face Barnsley

United will face Barnsley at Oakwell in the Carling Cup fourth round next month.

The Reds continue their defence of the trophy after beating Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0 in the third round.

A second-half Danny Welbeck goal proved enough to send United into the last 16 of the competition, despite playing much of the match with 10 men.

Barnsley, managed by former Reds striker Mark Robins, progressed after beating Burnley 3-2 last Tuesday. United have never met the Yorkshire side in the League Cup, although The Tykes did beat Sir Alex's side in an FA Cup fifth round replay at Oakwell in 1998.

Elsewhere, Arsenal will play Liverpool, Chelsea host Bolton and Manchester City meet Scunthorpe.

Fourth round

Blackburn Rovers v Peterborough
Manchester City v Scunthorpe
Tottenham Hotspur v Everton
Barnsley v United
Chelsea v Bolton
Sunderland v Aston Villa
Arsenal v Liverpool
Portsmouth v Stoke City

Matches to be played week commencing 26 October.

Stoke 0 - 2 Man Utd: Player Ratings

Ben Foster
A very quiet day for Foster, despite pre-match threats of aerial bombardment from the home team. The laundry ladies probably won't even bother washing his shirt.

John O’Shea
A goal for O’Shea – a clever flick-on header from Ryan Giggs’ free-kick – on his 350th appearance for the Reds. Was otherwise solid, albeit rarely tested.

Nemanja Vidic
Dealt superbly with Stoke’s long balls into the box. The big Serbian always rose highest to head them clear and saw off the threat from first Dave Kitson and then James Beattie.

Rio Ferdinand
No heart-fluttering moments this week from Rio. He was back to his old self – cool, composed and always in control.

Patrice Evra
Little to do defensively as all Stoke’s attacks were concentrated down the middle (and in the air). Instead, his overlapping runs down the left stretched the home side.

Antonio Valencia
Stoke’s narrow pitch meant the Ecuadorian didn’t get too many chances to run at defenders. Missed a golden opportunity early on to give United the lead.

Paul Scholes
A terrific performance in the centre of the park. Played a patient passing game and, as always, made his football look simple.

Darren Fletcher
No doubt picked for his ability to battle in midfield, but the Scot barely came up against a physical challenge. Not a blockbusting performance, but it didn’t need to be. Played a superb defence-splitting pass into Giggs in the build-up to the first goal.

Nani
Not too much came off for the Portuguese winger at the Britannia but, to his credit, Nani kept looking for the ball. Too often the final pass was mishit, though.

Dimitar Berbatov
Scored United’s first from close range but was otherwise fairly quiet. Showed some good touches on the ball but found it difficult to unpick the crowded Stoke defence.

Wayne Rooney
A slightly frustrating day for the English forward, although he started brightly with an early acrobatic effort that just flew over. Often forced to drop deep to come looking for the ball.

SUBSTITUTES

Ryan Giggs (for Nani, 57)
Immediate impact from the Welshman. Within five minutes he rolled the ball across the box for Berbatov to open the scoring and later turned provider for O'Shea.

Michael Carrick (for Scholes, 81)
Not on long enough to make an impact.

Michael Owen (for Rooney, 81)
Like Carrick, had little time to change the game.

Stoke City 0 Man United 2

A dominant display from the Reds coupled with goals from Dimitar Berbatov and John O’Shea secured an impressive 2-0 victory over Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium, but the star of the show once again was Ryan Giggs.

Having run rings round Manchester City’s defence last time out setting up three of United’s four goals in the dramatic derby win, the club’s record appearance-maker came off the bench to inspire the Reds to a seventh straight victory in all competitions with two more vital assists.

Stoke offered little in attack and simply couldn’t cope with United’s Welsh wonder who, five minutes after entering the fray, crossed for Berbatov to tap home, before curling a free-kick onto the head of O’Shea who flicked in United’s second.

Sir Alex Ferguson made ten changes to the side that started against Wolves in midweek with Nani the only survivor from the Carling Cup third round victory, and the Portuguese winger was heavily involved in United’s early attacks. Just three minutes in, his deflected cross fell to Wayne Rooney whose instinctive overhead kick flew over the bar.

The United pair combined well four minutes later from a short corner with Nani sending a low curling effort just wide of Thomas Sorensen’s left-hand post.

Former Reds’ defender Ryan Shawcross breathed a sigh of relief 60 seconds later when he lost out in a 50/50 challenge with Antonio Valencia allowing the Ecuadorian a free run on goal. Despite having Rooney alongside him, the winger opted to shoot himself with the opportunity to open his United account too good to pass up. Unfortunately he clipped the ball wide of the far post.

The visitors were dominating possession with Paul Scholes pulling the strings in midfield, Rooney as busy and as bright as ever and Valencia and Nani seeing plenty of the ball, leaving the Premier League’s loudest fans somewhat subdued. The Potters’ faithful raised the decibel level on 13 minutes though when Liam Lawrence ran clear of Patrice Evra down the right, but his cross-cum-shot did not trouble Ben Foster.

Soon after, United broke forward at pace from a Stoke corner with Rooney finding Nani down the right, but the Portuguese international wasted the opportunity, cutting inside and blasting over when he could have simply rolled the ball into Rooney’s path on the edge of the box.

Nani did hit the target a minute before the break, but Sorensen was on hand to brilliantly punch his curling effort clear.

United carried on where they left off after the restart possession-wise, although Stoke were a little more ambitious in attack. Nevertheless, Foster and his defence were alert to the danger and dealt comfortably with any high balls into the area.

The Reds were still struggling to find a way through at the other end, but the introduction of Ryan Giggs, for Nani on 57 minutes, proved pivotal and ultimately led to the breakthrough.

A superb threaded pass from Darren Fletcher into the path of Giggs on the left side of the area was followed by a pinpoint low cross from the Welshman giving Dimitar Berbatov the simple task of slotting home from three yards in the 62nd minute. It was the Bulgarian’s second goal of the season and he was the first to acknowledge yet another fine assist from Giggs.

The Reds were a little lucky not to go down to ten men soon after when Scholes was penalised for handball. Having already been shown a yellow card for a late tackle on Lawrence earlier in the half the midfielder breathed a sigh of relief when referee Howard Webb opted not to produce another.

Giggs found himself through on goal after a long ball forward, but Sorensen did well to put him off and his effort sailed wide. The United veteran was at the heart of virtually every attack and he turned provider once more on 77 minutes.

An inswinging free-kick from the right wing was met by John O’Shea, making his 350th appearance for the Reds, who flicked a header into the top corner to put United 2-0 ahead.

Three minutes later a delicious chipped pass from Scholes found Giggs in acres of space in the area. He brought the ball under control brilliantly with his first touch, but his second wasn’t quite as pinpoint as he scooped the ball over the bar. That 100th Premier League goal and indeed 150th career strike would have to wait for another day.

While it may not have been anywhere near as dramatic as the Reds' last league run-out against City, the result was just as satisfying and, coupled with Chelsea's defeat at Wigan, ensured top spot in the table.

Report by Gemma Thompson

Player Ratings: United 1 - 0 Wolves

Tomasz Kuszczak - The big Pole did everything asked of him, making two impressive and important saves and largely marshalling a much-changed backline well.

Gary Neville - An excellent shift from the skipper, who kept the defence in order and bombed forward wherever possible to lend his support in attack.

Wes Brown - Totally unflappable throughout. Wes turned in a superb evening's work, working well in tandem and keeping things together at the back.

Jonny Evans - Looks completely at home in the first team, whoever his partner is. Kept former colleague Sylvan Ebanks-Blake under control all night.

Fabio - The Brazilian looked in good form until his unfortunate dismissal. No malice at all in his attempts to halt Michael Kightly's run, but no complaints about the red card.

Nani - A rip-roaring start from the Portuguese winger, but his involvement was sporadic from then on. Nevertheless, his pace and trickery had Wolves worried throughout.

Michael Carrick - A quietly productive evening for the England international. Linked well with Darron Gibson in the centre, and played a big part in Welbeck's winner.

Darron Gibson - Had a point to prove against his former loan side, and performed well. Thrice came close from distance, but Gibbo can reflect on a good evening's work.

Danny Welbeck - Had to mix roles as a winger and a striker after Fabio's dismissal, but juggled the roles well and capped his display with a superb winning goal.

Kiko Macheda - Full of running prior to his early substitution.Unfortunate to be sacrificed, but it was a move that paid off tactically as Welbeck's split role yielded the winner.

Michael Owen - Performed admirably after being asked to lead the line alone. Unfortunate not to score, but a superb assist for Welbeck's goal.

Substitutes

Ritchie De Laet (for Macheda) - The young Belgian's rapid improvement continues, and once again he looked completely at home in the first team defence.

Antonio Valencia (for Owen) - Terrified Wolves when he came on with his pace and directness. Another impressive cameo.

Josh King (for Welbeck) - Another who has burst onto the scene, and the powerful youngster fared well on the big stage. Unlucky not to score with a thunderous effort.

United 1 Wolves 0

A superb goal from Danny Welbeck took United through to the fourth round of the Carling Cup, but the reigning holders were made to work for their progress after surviving the first-half dismissal of Fabio.

The Brazilian full-back was red-carded just before the half-hour mark for hauling down Michael Kightly as the last man, but Welbeck popped up midway through the second half with a wonderfully crisp finish, bagging his first goal of the season at a perfect time.

The England youth international provided the outstanding moment of quality in a largely bitty affair. Clear-cut chances were at a premium, with Wolves' ambition barely galvanised by their numerical advantage.

Predictably, Sir Alex Ferguson made wholesale changes from the side which edged Sunday's epic Manchester derby. Only Michael Owen and Michael Carrick, both late substitutes against the Blues, started against Mick McCarthy's side. An influx of youth and fringe players prevailed, with senior squad debutants Joshua King and Magnus Eikrem named on the bench.

United bossed possession from the first whistle, but were frequently denied by stout defending from the visitors. On the rare occasions an opening presented itself, goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann was quick to spot the danger, clutching one particularly dangerous cross from Nani when Owen was lurking.

It was the visitors who came closest to an opening goal, however, when Sylvan Ebanks-Blake fashioned space, swivelled and curled a 20 yard shot just over Kuszczak's goal. The former United striker was asking plenty of questions of Wes Brown and Jonny Evans, but the Reds' central defensive partnership largely kept the 23-year-old on a short leash.

Wolves' most promising first half foray ended in disaster for United. Brown and Stefan Maierhofer leapt for the same ball, allowing it to bounce favourably for Kightly to burst onto. The winger was matched stride for stride by Fabio as he bore down on goal, but the Brazilian twice lost his footing, and ultimately halted Kightly's progress with a blatant trip.

Referee Peter Walton had little option; a red card curtailed the evenings of Fabio and Kiko Macheda, who was sacrificed for the introduction of Ritchie De Laet. As another ex-Red, David Jones, curled the subsequent free-kick towards the top corner at the Stretford End, only a superb save from Kuszczak prevented a double dose of misfortune for the hosts.

United's clearest opening soon followed, as Owen peeled off Christophe Berra brilliantly to reach Nevillei's cross, but the England striker could only direct his header straight at Hahnemann. Regardless of being a man light, United continued to push forward, and both Carrick and Welbeck saw shots bravely blocked. There were nerves jangling, however, when Jones reached a skewed clearance from Neville, but could only stab over the bar.

Regardless, Wolves emerged after the interval with more intent evident in their approach. Berra headed wastefully over, before Brown had to be alert to prevent Karl Henry from converting a close-range chance.

Those missed opportunities would prove costly for the visitors, as Welbeck broke the deadlock just after the hour. Gibson spotted the Longsight-born youngster in space, and Welbeck executed a clinical one-two with Owen before steering an unerring finish inside Hahnemann's far post.

Wolves' response was to go close twice through substitute Kevin Doyle, who drew one smart stop from

Kuszczak, then watched on as his left-footed volley arced just past the post with the Pole well beaten. The visitors never came any closer to hauling themselves back into the game, however, as a superbly organised defence held firm. Instead, United went on the hunt for more goals.

Goalscorer Welbeck was sacrificed to hand 17-year-old King with his first taste of senior action, and the Norwegian twice came close to marking the occasion with a goal; thwarted once by a defensive block, then stinging Hahnemann's palms with a ferocious near-post drive.

A solitary goal would prove enough, however. Despite spending over an hour of the match with 10 men, the holders march on into the fourth round of the Carling Cup.

Reported by Steve Bartram

Concerns grow for United and England over Rio Ferdinand's fitness

Manchester United are becoming deeply concerned about Rio Ferdinand’s persistent injury problems, fears shared by England before the World Cup finals next summer.

The centre back has missed 30 of the past 52 matches involving United and England as nagging injuries take their toll on his body. Since April, he has started back-to-back competitive games on only two occasions.

He was an unused substitute last night as United overcame Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0 in a third-round Carling Cup tie despite having been reduced to ten men by the first-half dismissal of Fábio Da Silva for a professional foul.

Sir Alex Ferguson, the United manager, hinted at their mounting concerns last week when he said that Ferdinand has “one game back and picks up another injury when he really needs games”. The club are increasingly worried that the problems appear to be more frequent and pronounced as the player gets older.

Ferdinand, who turns 31 in November, has been hindered by a succession of calf, thigh and groin injuries over the past nine months, although they appear to be principally an offshoot of a back complaint that requires something close to micro-management.

The issue came to the fore during the Club World Cup in Japan last December, when Ferdinand suffered spasms in his lower back that ruled him out for more than five weeks, and he has rarely been pain-free since.

Ferdinand sees an osteopath three times a week and had a special fitness programme drawn up by United, which often involves him completing a full gym session by 9 o’clock most mornings.

In an interview with The Times in April, Ferdinand conceded that the back injury, in particular, was a growing worry, but said that he was prepared to be saddled with a limp in later life if it meant playing at the highest level for several more years.

“I’m a little bit concerned it might become more of a problem as I get older, but I don’t really like to think about it like that,” he said at the time. “I’m quite good at blocking pain out.”

Ferdinand’s importance to United was underlined by their decision to play him in the derby against Manchester City at Old Trafford on Sunday, even though he was clearly unfit after missing five of the club’s opening seven games with a thigh injury.

United’s concerns are exacerbated by their other first-choice central defender, Nemanja Vidic, having to contend with a number of injuries in the past couple of seasons, while Jonny Evans has had an ankle problem since December and Wes Brown was missing for long periods last season and, more recently, has been sidelined by a thigh complaint.

Ferdinand has missed 23 of United’s past 43 games in all competitions, only one of which he was rested for. He has rarely been absent for long periods, but United’s concern centres on the Ferdinand-Vidic axis, the foundation for success over the past three seasons, being routinely broken up by niggling issues. Similarly, Fabio Capello is anxious about the disruption being caused to his first-choice defensive pairing of Ferdinand and John Terry with the World Cup finals in South Africa less than nine months away.

Ferdinand and Terry, the Chelsea defender, have partnered each other in only two of England’s past nine games, forcing Capello to experiment in the one area of his team that the manager hoped to leave untouched.

Ferguson hopes to have Edwin van der Sar, the goalkeeper, available for the league game at home to Sunderland on Saturday week. The Dutchman has been sidelined since the beginning of last month with a broken finger and bone in his left hand.

By James Ducker

Manchester United get more stoppage time at Old Trafford when they need a goal

After Michael Owen handed Manchester United victory in the derby match with City deep into stoppage time, Mark Hughes was left furious that the referee had added so much time on. But is there really such a thing as ‘Fergie’ time? 

Two reports today reveal conflicting views, with one suggesting that United are actually less likely to receive additional playing time over the course of a Premier League season, but another suggesting that more time is likely to be added on at Old Trafford when United actually need it and are still chasing something from the game.

There may be lies, damn lies and statistics at work but nonetheless both studies will make for compelling reading.

 

The Sun today published a ‘Premier League Times Table’ in which all Premier League teams were ranked in order of how much stoppage time on average was played in their games, home and away, in the 2007-08 season, with United ranked 16th with 220 seconds.

Hull City came top with 259.6 secs, while Chelsea received the lowest average amount of stoppage time with 212.8 secs.

Such figures would seem to undermine the notion that United benefit from the kind of favouritism that Hughes was alluding to when he said: “You could say we feel frustrated, but robbed might be a better word. I’m not questioning the referee’s integrity, I just don’t know where he’s got the seven minutes from.”

However, a Guardian study on a similar subject proves far more revealing.

Reviewing all of United’s league matches at Old Trafford since the start of the 2006-07 season, they discovered that, on average, there has been over a minute extra of added time played when United did not have the lead after 90 minutes, compared to when they are in front.

In the 48 games when United were ahead, the average amount of stoppage time was 191.35 ss. In the 12 matches when United were drawing or losing there was an average of 257.17 secs.

The overall average amount of stoppage time for league games at Old Trafford for the period of the study is actually less than comparable figures for the other big four teams.

Liverpool’s average stoppage time at Anfield stands at 210 secs, Arsenal enjoy 224 secs’s per game while at Stamford Bridge the figure is 229 secs.

Last season, on route to the successful defence of their Premier League title the average time added on when United were winning at Old Trafford was 187.71 sec compared to 258.6 secs when they were losing or drawing.

Such a pattern has been continued in to this season, despite only three league matches being played. In the two matches that have reached 90 minutes with United in front an average of 304 secs was played while in Sunday’s derby match referee Martin Atkinson sanctioned a further 415 secs of playing time.