Source: Manchester_EveningNews
United v Blackburn: Preview
MANCHESTER United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is facing a defensive headache ahead of the Barclays Premier League match against Blackburn at Old Trafford. Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand are both doubtful with calf problems and Gary Neville is suspended. Ryan Giggs also has a knock and Danny Welbeck, who scored in the Carling Cup victory against Barnsley in midweek, is sidelined with a knee injury. Darren Fletcher and Ji-Sung Park remain absent with groin and knee injuries respectively. Ahead of the game Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce has advised Wigan boss Roberto Martinez to keep his mouth shut in future. Martinez was at the centre of a storm this week after he reportedly suggested that some of his top-flight colleagues were little more than Sir Alex Ferguson?s loyalists. Martinez was alleged to have told a Spanish newspaper that Allardyce viewed himself as Ferguson?s successor at Old Trafford and was part of a group of managers sympathetic towards the Manchester United boss. Martinez subsequently denied making the comments and Allardyce confirmed that the Spaniard had phoned him to apologise. Allardyce said: ?I accept what he said when he rang me. ?When I saw the papers I thought, ?Is it true or isn?t it? But I have to take his word for it, which I do. ?Welcome to the Premier League, Roberto. Keep your mouth shut in the future or make sure you remember what is going to be done in the Premier League. ?If they have distorted his words, then that is something of a regular occurrence at this level. ?It?s not a real problem for me, I just think Roberto has learnt a harsh lesson about what happens in the Premier League if you start diverting away from you and your club business. ?You can say you can be misinterpreted, you can say you can be read wrong, but it?s a lesson that when you comment in this league on anything it can be blown out of all proportion. ?He?s apologised to me and I accept that apology.? Jason Roberts is the latest Blackburn player to come down with suspected swine flu ahead of the game. The striker did not report to training this morning and is almost certain to miss the Barclays Premier League encounter at Old Trafford. One player also thought to have suffered with the virus is David Dunn, but the midfielder looked to be in good health when he came off the bench against Peterborough in the Carling Cup on Tuesday night, and is set to play again. Another is Chris Samba, who is back in training but unlikely to feature as he is still feeling weak. Pascal Chimbonda returns having recovered from his calf injury and Vince Grella is back in training after his thigh problem, but is unlikely to appear for the first team until next week. Manchester United (from): Van der Sar, Kuszczak, Foster, O?Shea, Vidic, Ferdinand, Brown, J Evans, Evra, Anderson, Rafael, Carrick, Scholes, Valencia, Giggs, Rooney, Barbatov, Nani, Owen, Macheda, Obertan, Fabio, Tosic. Blackburn Rovers (from): Robinson, Chimbonda, Salgado, Givet, Nelsen, Diouf, Andrews, Pedersen, Dunn, Brown, Jacobsen, Nzonzi, Emerton, Hoilett, Kalinic, McCarthy, Olsson, Jones, Di Santo. United league form: WWDWL Blackburn league form: LWLWL Key opponent: Benni McCarthy - more likely to score than not if given a chance Prediction: United 2 Blackburn 1 - United should be too strong at home, but Blackburn will make it tough Click here for all the latest odds from Betfred. What is your prediction for the game? Have your say.
