Paul Scholes, has according to Fergie, sustained a very minor knock, but strangely, it's one that is likely to keep him out of action for up to 10 days. If this is actually true, it very obviously isn't good news for United, because Scholes has been one of the stars of the season so far.
But Scholes played for 90 minutes against Bolton at the weekend and so you have to wonder about this so called 'injury'.
Wayne Rooney is also out of action for up to three weeks, but at least United have quality cover for the out-of-form striker. However, in Sunday's post-match interview, assistant manager Micky Phelan confirmed that Rooney would be ok to travel to play against Valencia.
Subsequently, Fergie has claimed Rooney is injured and will be out for up three weeks, but this news has to be set against reports that the manager had been considering 'resting' the player in a bid to allowing Rooney to sort out the troubles in his turbulent private life.
For good reason, it wasn't that long ago that Ferguson was often referred to as 'Tinkerbell', this was because of his perceived 'tinkering' with the team; on such occasions it wasn't that unusual for the manager to make several surprises when announcing his team. Bad news often came along in two's and three's - just like double-decker buses.
Imagine the following scenario if you will: Fergie tells Rooney he isn't travelling to Spain "...you're not in the squad son, but you're not on your own, because neither is ******* Scholesy". In this scenario one suspects there's some perverse logic at work here in the mind of our great manager, aka Tinkerbell. It is less of a bitter pill to swallow if another big star name has been 'rested', that must be how Fergie's mind works concerning such issues - at least that is my own perception.
I have lost count of the number of occasions when Fergie has made more than one surprise team news announcement and so the above scenario isn't without precedent.
At the age of 35, there has to be a serious danger of player burn-out and you have to wonder if this is another Fergie gamble. The fact that Scholes played for 90 minutes against Bolton could also be viewed in different ways: Was it the case that United needed the points or had the manager been planning all along to rest Scholes and Rooney (in the case of the latter, we are told that is true)?
Despite the fact that United need to take something from the Valencia game, Fergie might well have looked at this Champions League group and decided that he was going to make changes.
Fergie knows he cannot realistically expect Scholes to play in every game. Fergie must believe United can still qualify from this group if even if we go on to lose against Valencia tonight...
Personally, I doubt neither Scholes or Rooney are seriously injured, both of them could have played against Valencia. Fergie has gambled by resting both of them but for very different reasons. Added to which, if Fergie tells the press both players will be out for 10 days and three weeks respectively, it sounds more convincing.
Fergie might well rest Scholes at the weekend too, but don't be surprised if he's fit to face Sunderland.
Giggs misses out tonight, but his injury looked genuine. Carrick comes in from the cold after being frozen out all season due to so called 'injuries', but they weren't that serious that he couldn't be selected for the recent England squads.
Let us hope Tinkerbell's cunning plans comes good.
In 90 minutes of football Scholes passed the ball, straightish along the ground 4 times. Exceptfor a couple of long ball to the wings, the rest were all sideways or backwards. No wonder he is deemed to be the best passer in the Premier league. How I long for a Fabregas, an Iniesta or even an Ozil, players who can actually split a defence down the middle.
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