Ferdinand on track for Champions League second leg

Rio Ferdinand should be fit for Manchester United?s Champions League semi-final second leg clash with Arsenal next week, Sir Alex Ferguson revealed on Friday.

Ferdinand was substituted in the final minutes of the 1-0 first leg victory at Old Trafford amid fears he had broken a rib. The England defender left the field in visible pain and had to spend a night in hospital.

However, although he will miss United?s Premier League tie with Middlesbrough on Saturday, Ferguson is confident he will be back in United?s starting line-up for the decisive second match at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday.

Ferguson said: “We have assessed the situation and the good news is that there is nothing cracked or broken which is terrific news.

“There is some bruising which caused a bit of coughing of blood when it happened but nothing has happened since so hopefully we will be able to get him ready for Tuesday.

“When you see someone getting a crack in the rib area you fear the worst with that, particularly when he?s coughing blood, but that has passed over now.

“We just have to try and get him training by Sunday I think and hopefully he will be ready.”

If Ferdinand remains unfit, Ferguson is still confident the United squad has enough strength in depth to absorb his loss and still be competitive in both the Premier League and Champions League.

Jonny Evans will stand in for Ferdinand at Middlesbrough and although Ferguson expects to rotate his midfield and forward selection, he does not have any players demanding the weekend off.

“The players are quite buoyed up in training, most of them want to play,” he said. “I think the performances on Wednesday helped in that respect.

“I have players who love playing anyway and can play all the time — there’s no question of that.”

The United manager expressed his opinion earlier this week that United should not be made to play in a Champions League semi-final in midweek and then be expected to perform again so soon after.

He returned to the subject ahead of Saturday?s lunchtime kick-off against Middlesbrough but accepted that the demands of television mean that United can have very little influence on when they play their fixtures.

He said: “The teams who play in Europe should not play at a lunchtime on Saturday.

“That is for all teams, not just Manchester United and you would think that these guys who sit in an office all week would think of that.

“But when you shake hands with the devil then you pay the price.

“At this time of year we have to accept it first of all and secondly we now know that every game is so important. Whether you play at midnight or seven o?clock or three o?clock doesn?t interrupt what we plan.

“There is absolutely no doubt about that because the incentives are so great and that helps us.

“We have to concentrate on what we do, do your own job then you don?t need to worry about anything else.”