Manchester Utd

Injury likely to sideline Carrick
Manchester United's new £18.6m signing Michael Carrick is set to miss the start of the Premiership season after injuring his left foot against Ajax. The midfielder lasted just 14 minutes on his second appearance before getting injured in a tackle from behind. \"It looks like he could be out for three weeks, there's a lot of swelling,\" said boss Sir Alex Ferguson. Ryan Giggs' free-kick gave United a 1-0 win and meant they were the winners of the four-team LG Amsterdam tournament. Ferguson added: \"Michael has ligament damage to his ankle and it is difficult to say how long he will be out because we don't know his record with injuries. \"But it looks like he could be out for three weeks and it is a real blow for the young lad. He wanted to do really well for us and this has knocked him back a bit. \"But we have to handle it. Injuries are part of the game and we have plenty of good players in the squad who can take his place. \"I'm not going to complain about the challenge, though, because the referee showed tolerance tonight and that's what you want. \"You don't want to see players sent off in pre-season friendlies.\" Carrick's debut against Porto on Friday was marred by sendings off for Wayne Rooney and Paul Scholes, who could now collect bans from the FA. Manchester United's first league game is against Fulham on 20 August and Ferguson already has several injury worries with Gary Neville, Gabriel Heinze and Nemanja Vidic all currently sidelined. Rio Ferdinand and John O'Shea both picked up injuries against Porto although both should be fit for the start of the season. \"Your hope for the start of every season is a clean bill of health,\" said Ferguson. \"The last two years have been horrendous for us in terms of injuries. I was hoping we would get a free run this year but it hasn't happened. \"But we have a big squad and we have to get on with it. We have great experience and hopefully that will give us a good chance.\"

Giggs offers to fill midfield gap
Winger Ryan Giggs says he is prepared to play in central midfield to help out Manchester United. New signing from Tottenham, Michael Carrick, is set to miss the start of the season with an ankle injury and Paul Scholes may be suspended. Giggs, 32, moved from the wing into the centre at the end of last season. He said: \"We have more options now but if the manager asked me to go back in there I would do so and I would enjoy it because I enjoyed it last season.\" New signing Carrick was injured in the friendly against Ajax on Saturday, while Scholes - together with striker Wayne Rooney - was sent off against Porto. However, United boss Sir Alex Ferguson says he is \"confident\" of signing at least one more player before the new season starts. That player is expected to be Villarreal midfielder Marcos Senna.

Villarreal prepared to sell Senna
Villarreal will allow midfielder Marcos Senna to join Manchester United - if the clubs can agree on a fee. \"If the offer is good for everyone, the club would allow Marcos to leave,\" Villarreal's general manager Jose Manuel Llaneza told Mundo Deportivo. Red Devils boss Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted he is interested in signing the Spanish international as he looks for a new midfield balance. The Brazilian-born 30-year-old is likely to cost in the region of £4m. Ferguson has previously said: \"There is interest in Senna but there is interest in other players as well. \"We are trying to find different combinations in midfield.\" Ferguson has already landed England international Michael Carrick in an £18.6m deal, although the former Tottenham man will now miss the start of the season with a foot injury. Villarreal coach Manuel Pellegrini appeared resigned to losing Senna to United earlier in the summer. \"I understand that this is a great opportunity for him but, for us, it is going to be a great footballing loss if he does end up going,\" stated Pellegrini. \"If he leaves, I'll be happy for him but I will be sad for the team. He is a player who has proved his class and I have always found it very strange that nobody came in for him sooner as he is a great player.\" Senna, who has one year left on his contract and has been with Villarreal since 2002, was a member of the team that reached the last four of last season's Champions League. The blow of any potential departure would be softened after their capture of Leandro Somoza from Club Atletico Velez of Argentina and ex-Arsenal star Robert Pires. But Llaneza said there would be no problem for Villarreal if Senna's prospected move fell through. \"I'm very sure if Marcos stayed he would continue to give his all for us,\" he added.

Rooney & Scholes free for opener
Wayne Rooney and Paul Scholes will be available for Manchester United's Premiership opener with Fulham, despite being sent off in a pre-season match. The game was in Holland and the Dutch Football Association's report to its English counterparts was delayed in the post, so the duo can play on 20 August. An FA spokesman told Sir Stanley that the report had not arrived by close of business on Tuesday evening. Any suspension would apply 14 days on from when the FA receive the report. Rooney was dismissed for allegedly elbowing Pepe in the 3-1 win over Porto in Amsterdam while Scholes was sent off for two bookable offences. The referee's report to the Dutch FA automatically triggers a letter to the FA, which would be duty bound to give both players a violent conduct charge. If proved, that charge carries carried a three-match suspension.

Ronaldo shrugs off Oxford taunts
Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo was praised by Sir Alex Ferguson after his first game since the World Cup. Ronaldo was accused of helping to get England's Wayne Rooney, his United team-mate, sent-off in the World Cup quarter-final. He scored twice in the 4-1 win over Oxford but was booed every time he touched the ball by the home fans. \"It was Cristiano's first game back and I thought he handled it very well,\" said Ferguson. He added: \"He took his goals very well. They were both great strikes and he got a terrific reception from the United supporters as well and all in all, he did very well.\" Ronaldo's first goal against Oxford came when curled in a superb 14th minute volley after striker Louis Saha's cushioned lay-off. He rifled a 20-yard shot into the bottom corner after David Jones had provided the short pass for his second before being substituted. United's fans gave him rapturous applause as he left the field but Oxford's fans showed little sympathy as they jeered him off. He is likely to get some similarly hostile treatment at Premiership venues but did not appear concerned by the abuse. He also set up striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for United's opener with Darren Fletcher scoring the third for the Old Trafford side. Robert Duffy scored Oxford's goal to make it 3-1 before Ronaldo had the last word. Ferguson had several of his international stars back for the game and Saha and Mikael Silvestre completed the full 90 minutes while Gabriel Heinze lasted just short of an hour. \"It was important to get the remaining World Cup players back into the game,\" said Ferguson. \"Louis and Mikael did not play as much in Germany as Gaby and Cristiano, which is why I kept them on for the full game.\"

Rooney & Scholes request hearing
Manchester United will appeal to the Football Association against charges given to Wayne Rooney and Paul Scholes that could land them three-match bans. Charges of violent conduct and serious foul play were brought after the pair's red cards during a Manchester United friendly in Holland, against Porto. Unless the suspensions are overturned, the pair will miss the trip to Charlton and home games with Watford and Spurs. The pair will, however, be available for the league opener against Fulham. That is because the report was delayed by post, and any ban can only come into force 14 days after the FA is informed. The report contains 23 pages, composed of observations from referee Ruud Bossen, and also full reports of both incidents from both assistant referees and the fourth official. Despite that, it appears likely that both men will have their punishments downgraded to yellow cards, which would effectively clear Rooney and leave Scholes to serve a one-match suspension for the Charlton clash as his dismissal was for two yellow cards. United have until Friday afternoon to confirm their appeal, ahead of a likely hearing which will be held next Tuesday.

Man Utd step up midfielder search
Manchester United are renewing efforts to boost their midfield ahead of the new season, with Villarreal's Marcos Senna reported to be their main target. \"We are trying very hard to get another midfield player in,\" said manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who has previously admitted being interested in Senna. Newspaper reports suggest United will this week stage talks with Villarreal, who have said they might sell Senna. The Brazilian-born 30-year-old is likely to cost in the region of £4m. \"If the offer is good for everyone, the club would allow Marcos to leave,\" Villarreal's general manager Jose Manuel Llaneza told Mundo Deportivo last week. Ferguson has previously said: \"There is interest in Senna but there is interest in other players as well. \"We are trying to find different combinations in midfield.\" Ferguson has already landed England international Michael Carrick in an £18.6m deal, although the former Tottenham man will now miss the start of the season because of a foot injury. Villarreal coach Manuel Pellegrini appeared resigned to losing Senna to United earlier in the summer. \"I understand that this is a great opportunity for him but, for us, it is going to be a great footballing loss if he does end up going,\" stated Pellegrini. \"If he leaves, I'll be happy for him but I will be sad for the team. He is a player who has proved his class and I have always found it very strange that nobody came in for him sooner as he is a great player.\" Senna, who has one year left on his contract and has been with Villarreal since 2002, was a member of the team that reached the last four of last season's Champions League. The blow of any potential departure would be softened after his club's capture of Leandro Somoza from Club Atletico Velez of Argentina and ex-Arsenal star Robert Pires. But Llaneza said there would be no problem for Villarreal if any move for Senna fell through. \"I'm very sure if Marcos stayed he would continue to give his all for us,\" he added.

Gill backs Man Utd to test Blues
Manchester United chief executive David Gill says Sir Alex Ferguson's side will mount a realistic challenge to Chelsea despite the Blues' huge resources. B\"Chelsea do what they do and what they can afford,\" Gill told Sir Stanley . \"We have to do what Manchester United does best. \"We are not saying we cannot compete because we feel we can. \"We have the team to compete, the squad to compete and we are looking forward to the new season.\" United have brought in midfielder Michael Carrick for £18.6m, but that transfer has been dwarfed by Chelsea's summer recruitment of Michael Ballack, Andriy Shevchenko, Mikel John Obi and Salomon Kalou. But Gill believes United are in good shape ahead of the start of the Premiership season on Saturday: \"Increasing the capacity of the stadium produces a lot of revenue for us. \"We will also continue to bring young players through the academy and we will compete in the transfer market as we see fit. \"If you look at the players in our squad, the likes of Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes, we have a lot of players many teams would envy.\" A year on after United's takeover by the Glazer family Gill insisted the \"scare stories\" over the club's purchase had proved unfounded. \"The club is in good shape to face the various challenges both in the Premier League and Europe,\" said Gill. \"There was a lot of comment about the takeover but the Glazer family have let us get on with running the club. \"People understand they are here for the long-term. They are investing for the long-term and we are looking to produce results, on and off the pitch, to justify that investment.\"

Rooney and Scholes to serve bans
Manchester United duo Wayne Rooney and Paul Scholes have both had their appeals against three-match bans rejected by the Football Assocation. The two players were dismissed by Dutch referee Ruud Bossen against Porto during the Amsterdam tournament.

Hargreaves ponders Man Utd switch
England and Bayern Munich midfielder Owen Hargreaves, 25, is considering an offer from Manchester United. \"The offer from United is fantastic,\" Hargreaves, who recently signed a contract extension with Bayern, told German magazine Sport Bild. \"Particularly as an England international, it is of interest and you never know if such an opportunity will arise again.\" \"Now is the time to take the next step to develop even further.\" Hargreaves has spent his entire professional career with Bayern since moving to Germany from Canada in 1997.

Ferguson wants to sign Hargreaves
Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed that Manchester United are trying to sign Owen Hargreaves from Bayern Munich. The England international midfielder, 25, is believed to be on the verge of a move to Old Trafford - if the two clubs can agree a deal. \"We have been trying to negotiate with Bayern Munich for quite a while now,\" said United boss Ferguson. \"And of course the boy has said he would like to join United. We would like to have him here.\" Hargreaves starred for England last Wednesday as he helped the team to a 4-0 win in a friendly against Greece. Bayern are reluctant to let Hargreaves go but he has made it clear he wants to join United and £13m could seal it. Ferguson said the move was now in the \"capable\" hands of chief executive David Gill and added: \"He's doing his best. \"You can never be confident but we are hopeful. We are dealing with a big club in Bayern Munich. \"The relationship between the two clubs has always been good. \"We would have preferred Ruud van Nistelrooy to join them because that may have helped us with the Hargreaves situation. \"That wasn't to be. But hopefully we can get something done.\" Hargreaves returned to Bayern on Thursday where he was expected to reiterate his desire to move. He is already understood to have had meetings with the Bayern hierarchy where he has stated his intentions. And Hargreaves publicly signalled his intent for the transfer to go through when he said: \"To play (for Manchester United) is a great opportunity and I would be happy if I got that chance. \"Particularly as an England international, it's of interest and you never know if such an opportunity will arise again. \"Now is the time to take the next step to develop even further.\" Hargreaves seems determined to seize on his raised profile in England following his combative and tough-tackling displays during the World Cup. He was seen as England's player of the tournament and continued his impressive rise in the international ranks in the friendly against Greece in new manager Steve McClaren's first game in charge. Bayern would be reluctant to sell Hargreaves after fellow central midfield star Michael Ballack left them to join Chelsea at the end of last season. Bayern general manager Uli Hoeness has said: \"Hargreaves is not a subject of discussion. \"Owen has a contract until 2010 and he will complete it. The issue is closed.\" Hargreaves has been at Bayern since moving to the club from Canada as a 16-year-old in 1997. He helped Bayern to the Champions League crown in 2001 and has also won four Bundesliga titles with the club. His inclusion in former England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson's squad for the World Cup raised eyebrows after he had failed to establish himself since his international debut against Holland in August 2001. But he was in impressive form in Germany and starred when he played against Sweden and Portugal. Hargreaves has been linked with numerous Premiership clubs over recent years, including Arsenal, Tottenham and Middlesbrough.

Man Utd v Fulham
MANCHESTER UNITED entertain Chris Coleman's Fulham at the outset of their fourth attempt to collect an unequalled ninth Premier League title. The Red Devils have been champions of England on 15 occasions, and have never finished outside the top three in the Premier League. Since last lifting the trophy in 2002-03, they've finished third, third and second. They scored the same number of goals as champions Chelsea last season (72), but ended eight points behind Mourinho's men. Five goals were scored when these two last met for a Premiership seasonal opener on 19 August 2001. The Cottagers lost their first ever Premier League fixture 3-2, when Louis Saha gave the Red Devils a scare with the first of his two in the fourth minute. But goals from David Beckham and a brace from Ruud van Nistelrooy secured the points, having twice been behind. FULHAM are embarking on a sixth Premiership campaign. Since promotion to the big League in 2001, the Cottagers have hovered in mid table between a Premier League best ninth in 2003-04 and worst of 14th in 2002-03. Manchester United are the only club to have beaten Fulham in an opening day fixture in 14 years. The Thames-side club have won two and drawn two of subsequent Premiership openers since the reverse at Old Trafford in 2001. The Cottagers' only points in five Premiership trips to the Theatre of Dreams came in a 1-3 victory on 25 October 2003, when Lee Clark, Steed Malbranque and Junichi Inamoto were their scorers. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Referee: Andre Marriner (West Midlands)

Man Utd rule out Amsterdam return
Manchester United will not include the prestigious Amsterdam competition in their pre-season plans again after the bans they picked up there this season. Wayne Rooney and Paul Scholes were sent off in the victory over Porto. And manager Sir Alex Ferguson is still angered by referee Ruud Bossen opting to report the decisions which mean the pair are suspended for three matches. \"We will not be playing in the Amsterdam tournament again, you can bet your life on that,\" said Ferguson. \"In these situations it is down to the referee. You hope common sense is going to prevail. \"Instead he has reported it, then it has gone through the official channels and the FA has decided to take it up. \"We have the players to cover and there is nothing we can do about it now. \"We are disappointed but we just have to get on with it - that is the nature of our club.\" Rooney and Scholes can play against Fulham in the first game of the season but will then sit out the subsequent matches against Charlton, Watford and Tottenham. The move has led to allegations of the Football Association singling out United players for special treatment given Liverpool duo Steven Gerrard and Neil Mellor were not punished after being sent off in the same tournament three years ago. The United captain Gary Neville branded the bans \"a disgrace\" and, while Ferguson did not go that far, he did state the inference from the FA was that Rooney, in particular, would not be punished. \"I am not so much disappointed as surprised,\" said the Scot. \"The FA told us nothing was going to happen to Wayne and they were actually briefing people the same thing. \"I do not know what has happened in between them telling us that and reaching the decision.\"

Rooney 'in threat to FA over ban'
Wayne Rooney has reportedly threatened to reduce his off-field role with England in protest at his three-match ban from the Football Association. The 20-year-old England striker was banned for his red card in a pre-season friendly against Porto on 4 August. Reports on Sunday claim Rooney's agent Paul Stretford has sent a letter to FA chief executive Brian Barwick, saying his client \"feels extremely let down\". Rooney is apparently ready to pull out of commercial activities for the FA. Stretford's letter reportedly said: \"I am writing on behalf of my client to express his utter dismay at the decision not to overturn the ban. \"Rooney feels extremely let down by the FA on this matter. \"While he will continue, if selected, to play for his country with pride and commitment, he is considering withdrawing his support for the FA's commercial programme. \"In other words, he will not allow his image to be used or exploited, or participate in personal appearances for and on behalf of the FA's commercial partners unless he is satisfied with how the FA conducts its affairs in regard to player matters.\" His ban starts on 23 August and he will miss the fixtures against Charlton, Watford and Tottenham. England manager Steve McClaren has admitted he was unhappy with the FA's decision to give Rooney a three-match ban. \"The decision has not made my job any easier in building relationships with the clubs,\" said McClaren. \"I am not criticising anybody about making a decision but when I have to build a relationship with the clubs and the managers and decisions are made like this one with Wayne Rooney then that obviously makes my job very, very difficult.\"

Man Utd v Fulham
Wayne Rooney has shaken off a groin problem and will lead the Manchester United line alongside Louis Saha. Defensive duo Nemanja Vidic and Gabriel Heinze are out with knee injuries while £18.6m summer capture Michael Carrick is still nursing his ankle injury. Fulham midfield duo Claus Jensen and Simon Elliott are both carrying calf injuries and will miss the trip north. Dane Jensen is nearing a return to first-team action, but New Zealander Elliott is two weeks off a comeback. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Manchester United (from): Van der Sar, Kuszczak, Neville, O'Shea, Brown, Ferdinand, Silvestre, Ronaldo, Park Ji-Sung, Scholes, Giggs, Saha, Rooney, Rossi, Evans, Evra, Richardson, Fletcher. Fulham (from): Niemi, Crossley, Drobny, Queudrue, Rosenior, Volz, Knight, Bocanegra, Pearce, Christanval, Zakuani, Brown, Boa Morte, Diop, Bullard, Timlin, Pembridge, Elrich, Helguson, McBride, John, Radzinski, Runstrom. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson: \"I think Fulham will have a go on Sunday because they've got a great philosophy under Chris Coleman. \"They have good height in their team which could be a problem for us. \"Their front two in particular are very good headers of the ball so they have a threat goal-wise. But hopefully we'll be ready.\" Fulham midfielder Jimmy Bullard: \"We're all looking forward to the Manchester United match, we have been all through pre-season to be honest. \"Everything has been gearing towards that Manchester United encounter and the start of the season.\"

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