Manchester United vs Benfica preview - Ferguson admits to unsettling effect of injuries

Posted Tuesday, November 22, 2011 by PA

Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted a glut of injuries has unsettled Manchester United this season.

United have bounced back from their derby-day mauling by recording five straight wins without conceding a goal.

Yet there remains a hesitancy in their play, born out of having to make so many changes.

In pairing Michael Carrick with Ryan Giggs in the centre of United's midfield at Swansea on Saturday, Ferguson was using his ninth different combination.

Central defence has seen just as many changes, with Jonny Evans, Phil Jones and Chris Smalling all used at various times in addition to established first choices, Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand.

Yet, with Vidic serving the final game of a two-match European ban in their Champions League encounter with Benfica, Ferguson will be forced to make another swap.

It is not something the Scot is too concerned about. However, he does concede the normal fluency that would be expected from such an impressive sequence of victories is missing.

"There have been some changes in the team from the one that started the season," said Ferguson.

"You don't envisage having quite so many injuries.

"Everyone was fresh at the start. We had been through a brilliant pre-season in the States with not one injury. Then you are hit with a little list.

"It doesn't disrupt us to a great degree but it does unsettle the balance of the team.

"Sometimes we are having to rethink which team to play whereas when the team is in full flow you don't need to worry."

Ferguson can see an end to the problems, even if it won't come in time to help out against Benfica.

Smalling for instance has started training after suffering a broken bone in his foot and Ferguson expects the England international to be available for Saturday's Premier League encounter with Newcastle.

Danny Welbeck was also put through his paces at Carrington on Monday morning after suffering a hamstring strain on England duty and cannot be far away from a return.

Ferguson is also optimistic Evans will have recovered from his own hamstring niggle in time to feature at Old Trafford, whilst it is not imagined a "couple of knocks" will be enough to keep Wayne Rooney out.

Winger Nani has particular incentive to impress given he came through the ranks at Benfica's arch rivals Sporting Lisbon, just like his illustrious former Red Devils team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo.

Benfica coach Jorge Jesus has rejected the theory of the Premier League being the self-styled "best league in the world".

With its high excitement factor and end-to-end tactics, the competition has become a major draw worldwide.

Most countries have bought TV rights, which in turn has brought in finance to help attract many of the world's best players at some stage in their careers.

However, Jesus for one is not convinced the fayre on offer in England has outstripped the abilities on show in Spain, Germany and Italy.

"In Spain, Germany and Italy there is a big technical and tactical input in every match," said Jesus.

"There are many foreign players in England, and also quite a few teams have foreign managers, so the quality has improved.

"The English league is a good league but compared with Spain, Germany and Italy it is not so good."

Jesus does claim Manchester United, are a class apart given their outstanding form in Europe over the last four years, during which time they have played in three finals.

"They are different," he said. "That is the reason why they have won so much.

"Manchester United have different ideas and a different history. They show that on the pitch. They are much stronger technically this season.

"They keep the ball quite well and in almost every match they have 60% possession compared with the other team."

If Jesus is to be believed it sets up a chess-style confrontation at Old Trafford on Tuesday in a repeat of the 1968 final Sir Alex Ferguson hopes does justice to the legacy of Sir Matt Busby.

"As we welcome Benfica to Old Trafford the memories of many Manchester United supporters will fly back to those early days in European competition when George Best mesmerised Portugal's finest in the Stadium of Light and then ultimately to the night Sir Matt Busby achieved his European dream in 1968 to make United the first English club to win the European Cup," Ferguson told United Review.

"That must have been an emotional occasion for Sir Matt, who had defied the English football hierarchy to take United into the European Cup.

"Matt Busby was a man of vision.

"He persuaded his chairman to accept UEFA's invitation to take part in a championship of champions because he felt after proving his team the best in England, he wanted to measure them against the best of other countries.

"Even the air disaster didn't deflect his purpose and just 10 years later, he did in fact prove that in 1968 his team were the supreme champions.

"Now Europe runs deep in the psyche of Manchester United and Benfica evokes these memories."