Manchester United news and links

Sir Alex Ferguson is facing up to disappointing certain players as he ponders Manchester United’s squad for the Champions League final.The United boss has no injury or suspension worries ahead of the Moscow clash with Chelsea a week on Wednesday and is delighted to have 26 players to choose from.

Sir Alex Ferguson is not looking forward to leaving players out of his Champions League final squad.

Sporting Life - Manchester United left-back Patrice Evra is keen to sign a new deal at Old Trafford.

Reuters - Manchester United are to seek advice from the authorities before their scheduled Champions League match against AS Roma in Italy on December 12.

Eurosport.co.uk - Manchester United have agreed terms with Burnley to sign 14-year-old striker John Cofie.

Sporting Life - Manchester United midfielder Anderson has rejected claims he is a diver.

Sporting Life - Andriy Shevchenko fancies Manchester United to win the Champions League.

Reuters - Manchester United captain Gary Neville will miss their Champions League game against Dynamo Kiev on Wednesday after suffering a setback on his return from long-term injury.

TeamTalk - Oleg Luzhny is fearful what may happen to Dynamo Kiev when they tackle Manchester United in the Champions League at Old Trafford on Wednesday.It is only two weeks since United put four past the Ukrainians, with Owen Hargreaves noting a sense of fright among the hosts’ line-up as they faced the Premier League champions.

Sporting Life - Sir Alex Ferguson has challenged his Man Utd players to avoid becoming the Red Devils’ nearly men.

Reuters - Alex Ferguson celebrated 21 years in charge of Manchester United on Tuesday while the head of his union lamented that today’s managers were not given the chances the Scot enjoyed in his early years at Old Trafford.

Eurosport.co.uk - Stoke City’s on-loan Manchester United defender Ryan Shawcross has been named Championship Player of the Month for October.

Sporting Life - Sir Alex Ferguson feels Arsenal would “protest the loudest” about a home-based player rule.

TeamTalk - Manchester United have agreed a deal to sign Norwegian starlet Joshua King in January’s transfer window, according to the player’s agent.King is currently on the books of Valerenga, but is set to move to Old Trafford in the New Year when he turns 16.

Sporting Life - Owen Hargreaves claims Manchester United are still the kings of the beautiful game.

AFP - Gary Neville has been given the green light to make his long-awaited comeback from injury with an appearance for a second-string Manchester United side on Thursday.

AFP - Sir Alex Ferguson has hailed the flourishing strike partnership between Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez as the bedrock of the Premier League champions current rich vein of form.

Eurosport.co.uk - Louis Saha has been ruled out of Manchester United’s Champions League trip to Dynamo Kiev.

TeamTalk - Wayne Rooney took his tally to six goals in the last five games for club and country as Manchester United eased past nine-man Aston Villa 4-1.Rooney bounced back from England’s Euro 2008 disappointment in Russia to help the Red Devils chalk up a seventh successive win in the Premier League - and only a saved penalty denied him a hat-trick.

Eurosport.co.uk - Manchester United came from behind to record a comfortable 4-1 victory away to Aston Villa, who ended the game with nine men.

TeamTalk - Manchester United loanee Darron Gibson hailed the promotion credentials of Wolves and admits he could yet extend his current three-month stay.The 20-year-old joined Wolves after United were dumped out of the Carling Cup by Coventry but the midfielder has no concerns about being loaned out at Molineux and is hoping to follow the footprints of the likes of David Beckham in order to fulfil his dream.

TeamTalk - Patrice Evra believes Manchester United “have a point to prove” in the Champions League this season, ahead of Tuesday’s clash at Dynamo Kiev.United resume their campaign in the Ukraine next week having already won their first two group matches and handily placed to seal a last 16 berth with time to spare.

TeamTalk - Sheffield United boss Bryan Robson expects to complete the loan signing of Manchester United defender Phil Bardsley on Monday.The 22-year-old, due to finalise his three-month stay at Bramall Lane, has been drafted in as cover for right-back Derek Geary, who has been ruled out for up to six weeks following knee surgery.

TeamTalk - Manchester United’s Michael Carrick is out for up to six weeks with an elbow injury, ruling him out of England’s next two Euro 2008 qualifiers.The 26-year-old fractured his right elbow during the latter stages of his side’s Champions League victory over Roma at Old Trafford on Tuesday.

TeamTalk - Cristiano Ronaldo says Sir Alex Ferguson gives him his confidence - and will thank his boss with another 23-goal season for Manchester United.Ronaldo’s extraordinary achievements last season were one of the major reasons why the Red Devils ended a four-year Premier League title drought and ended the campaign just three wins away from emulating their 1999 Treble triumph.

Eurosport.co.uk - Owen Hargreaves has not travelled to Lisbon with Manchester United for Wedndesday’s Champions League game against Sporting.

Sporting Life - Manchester United assistant Carlos Queiroz has revealed he is thinking of quitting the club.

TeamTalk - Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo has admitted he never tires of watching the game which transformed him into a star.Four years ago last month, Ronaldo turned in such an outstanding performance for Sporting Lisbon in their friendly win over Manchester United that Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs spent the journey home imploring Sir Alex Ferguson to sign the Madeira-born teenager.

TeamTalk - Carlos Tevez’s Manchester United move will not be signed off by the Premier League on Tuesday but the club are hopeful it will be done soon.The Argentina striker is to sign a two-year loan-type agreement but the contract has to be deemed acceptable by the Premier League.

Reuters - Argentina’s Gabriel Heinze is seeking a transfer from Manchester United to their bitter rivals Liverpool but that has not stopped him from praising United manager Alex Ferguson.

TeamTalk - League One outfit Port Vale beat a team of Manchester United youngsters 3-2 in a Vale Park friendly on Wednesday night.Former United trainee Danny Whitaker scored for Vale in the second minute then Luke Rodgers and Shane Tudor added further goals.

Eurosport.co.uk - Manchester United winger Nani caused a few palpitations on the bench when he launched into an acrobatic goal celebration after scoring against Shenzhen in a recent friendly.

TeamTalk - Parma are playing a waiting game in their bid to lure Manchester United forward Giuseppe Rossi back to the Stadio Ennio Tardini.Rossi had a successful second half of last season with Parma while on loan from United, and now the Italians are hoping to bring him back on a permanent deal.

Sporting Life - Dong Fangzhou is determined to prove he is more than just a Manchester United shirt seller.

TeamTalk - Sir Alex Ferguson admits Carlos Tevez’s arrival at Manchester United will almost certainly lead to the exits of Alan Smith and Giuseppe Rossi.With the Tevez wrangle expected to be resolved by the end of August, Smith and Rossi’s futures have been the subject of intense debate.

TeamTalk - Owen Hargreaves reckons Carlos Tevez must be desperate to complete his Manchester United move as it is “very difficult to say no” to the club.Tevez has embarked on a short holiday while the wrangle over his proposed big-money move to Old Trafford is sorted out.

Sporting Life - Sir Alex Ferguson has hinted that Alan Smith and Giuseppe Rossi will leave Manchester United.

Sporting Life - Kieran Richardson claims he can see elements of Sir Alex Ferguson in Sunderland boss Roy Keane.

Sporting Life - Michael Carrick believes it will be a tough task for Manchester United to retain the title.

TeamTalk - FIFA insist they have not yet received any official request to settle the Carlos Tevez transfer dispute, but would be prepared to consider one.Football’s world governing body can become involved if there is an international element to a transfer or if they are asked by the Football Association.

TeamTalk - Roy Keane is looking forward to rubbing shoulders with the Premier League’s top managers as he takes Sunderland back into the top flight..The former Manchester United midfielder transformed the Wearsiders after taking charge last season by lifting them from the bottom of the Championship to title success.

TeamTalk - Gary Neville has accused Manchester United’s title rivals of underestimating the new Premier League champions last season.The United skipper is pushing himself through an exhaustive fitness schedule in an attempt to ensure he is ready for the opening game of the new season against Reading at Old Trafford on August 12.

Eurosport.co.uk - Eurosport took a look at new Manchester United signing Nani during Portugal’s European Under-21 Championships draw with Belgium - and found nothing to write home about.

Sporting Life - Gabriel Heinze has admitted he would seriously consider leaving Manchester United for Barcelona.

Sporting Life - Manchester United are a step closer to completing the signing of Portugal winger Nani.

Reuters - Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson has revealed that he used the same pep talk to Cristiano Ronaldo that he also gave to former United favourites Eric Cantona and David Beckham to persuade them to stay at Old Trafford.

Sporting Life - Sir Alex Ferguson has laughed off his “hairdryer” tag and says he’s mellowed with age.

Eurosport.co.uk - Premiership - Man Utd striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer insists he will be fit for next season after undergoing knee surgery. The Norwegian was suffering from discomfort on international duty and it was decided that an operation would be the best way to solve the problem.

Eurosport.co.uk - Premiership - Alan Smith has vowed to stay and fight for his place at Manchester United, despite the expected arrival of more competition for places.

Sporting Life - Porto wonderkid Anderson says joining Manchester United is “a dream the size of the world”.