Premier League - Ferguson in Rio ultimatum

Eurosport - Wed, 20 May 14:32:00 2009

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has warned Rio Ferdinand he may miss out on a starting place in the Champions League final if he cannot prove his fitness by the weekend.

2008-2009 Manchester United Rio Ferdinand - 0

The England centre-back has missed the last three matches since sustaining a calf injury in the Champions League semi-final second leg victory over Arsenal at the Emirates on May 5.

Ferguson is optimistic the 30-year-old will be available for Sunday's final Premier League match of the season at Hull as that will prevent him having to make a difficult decision in his team selection to face Barcelona in Rome next Wednesday.

"I'm hoping he will be fit for Sunday, if not he is doubtful for Wednesday that is for sure," said the United manager.

"I think he needs a game going into the Champions League final because him having not played for three weeks is too much.

"The plan is for him to start training with us tomorrow and once we get football training we will have a better idea of his availability for Sunday. I think he is probably fit to play Wednesday but whether I would start him without a game is another matter."

The news that Ferdinand could play on Sunday will come as a boost for relegation candidates Sunderland, Newcastle United and Middlesbrough.

The North-East trio have braced themselves for United to field a reserve XI at Hull, with their first-team players rested ahead of the Champions League final. A win would guarantee Hull's top-flight status.

PA Sport / Eurosport

Comment 85 - 104 of 104

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  1. That season­ saw the end of Champion League football­ in­ 2005/06! for Manchester United!

    From Frank400a, on Fri 3 Jul 2:35PM

  2. johnny.brandie

    You @#$% _ head, Man Utd finished­ bottom of the table, in the first qualifying round of­ the Champions League 2005/06, Man Utd were in Group D,­ the table finished:-

    1.Villareal 10pts
    2.Benfica ­ 8pts
    3.Lille 6pts
    4.Man Utd 6pts

    That season­ saw the end of Champion League football in­ 2005/06!

    johnny.brandie

    Your a 'plastic'­ Ferguson/Man Utd have only won the Champions League­ twice in 22 years, if that is 'making history'­ what is total failure??

    From Frank400a, on Fri 3 Jul 2:34PM

  3. Frank400a, OK, I understood the Johhny,Brandie bit and­ part of the first line of your comment, but then you­ lost me dude! As my interpreter is currently on­ vacation and I only speak English, the rest of your­ post was pretty much unintelligible and therefore went­ right over my head! Sorry! Maybe if you tell what it is­ you're drinking (or snorting/smoking/injecting or­ whatever) then I can maybe try using that as well and­ see if that helps to make your post any clearer to me­ afterwards! LOL

    From johnny.brandie, on Thu 21 May 7:48PM

  4. 71. From tasdeon, on Wed 20 May 4:46PM

    haven't­­ Liverpool been to more Champions League cup finals­ than­ Mr Ferguson and Manchester United and won­ Champions­ League more times!

    PMSL

    From Frank400a, on Thu 21 May 4:40PM

  5. chuckkjp

    Liverpool have won the Champions League­ more­ times than Manchester United. FACT!

    Manchester­ Uniteds­ 'HISTORY' in the Champions League­ under­ Ferguson is SHOCKING! HIS RECORD IS THE WORST OF­ ANY­ MANAGER IN THE HISTORY OF THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE!!!­­ FACT!

    Two wins in 21 years! if you win next week­ which­ I doubt that still only means 3 wins in 22­ years!!! ­

    Only the glory hunters will gloat next­ week? about­ what?....being utter rubbish in the­ Champions League­ for the past 22 years under Ferguson!­

    check your­ HISTORY! 3 Champions League wins in 50­ years

    From Frank400a, on Thu 21 May 4:39PM

  6. johnny.brandie

    Is this the Manchester United (your so­ proud of who finished second in the Premier League!­ (Chelsea won it, it was greaty that they won it instead­ of Man Utd who normally buy the title!!!) Manchester­ United got a place in the Champions League play­ offs!

    did Manchester United finish top in the knock­ out sstages?, and go through, NO! you didn't even­ finish 2nd, oh dear or 3rd!!! you finished 4th and were­ KNOCKED OUT of Champions League and the Uefa spot!

    So­ tell me johnny what happened? best team Manager big­ this and that you glory hunter!

    LMAFO

    From Frank400a, on Thu 21 May 4:38PM

  7. Liverfool fans are sickening.. they've been knocked­ out of the champions league
    by fellow english teams­ three consecutive seasons. they've been trophiless­ three consecutive seasons. they boast of a champions­ league win of 2005.. what shame..
    continue living in­ the past loserfools...

    BEL pa zed

    From Brian, on Thu 21 May 4:07PM

  8. Liverfool fans are sickening.. they've been knocked­ out of the champions league
    by fellow english teams­ three consecutive seasons. they've been trophiless­ three consecutive seasons. they boast of a champions­ league win of 2005.. what shame..
    continue living in­ the past loserfools...

    BEL pa zed

    From Brian, on Thu 21 May 4:06PM

  9. Liverfool fans are sickening.. they've been knocked­ out of the champions league
    by fellow english teams­ three consecutive seasons. they've been trophiless­ three consecutive seasons. they boast of a champions­ league win of 2005.. what shame..
    continue living in­ the past loserfools...

    BEL pa zed

    From Brian, on Thu 21 May 4:06PM

  10. Liverfool fans are sickening.. they've been knocked­ out of the champions league
    by fellow english teams­ three consecutive seasons. they've been trophiless­ three consecutive seasons. they boast of a champions­ league win of 2005.. what shame..
    continue living in­ the past loserfools...

    BEL pa zed

    From Brian, on Thu 21 May 4:05PM

  11. Liverfool fans are sickening.. they've been knocked­ out of the champions league
    by fellow english teams­ three consecutive seasons. they've been trophiless­ three consecutive seasons. they boast of a champions­ league win of 2005.. what shame..
    continue living in­ the past loserfools...

    BEL pa zed

    From Brian, on Thu 21 May 4:05PM

  12. Liverfool fans are sickening.. they've been knocked­ out of the champions league
    by fellow english teams­ three consecutive seasons. they've been trophiless­ three consecutive seasons. they boast of a champions­ league win of 2005.. what shame..
    continue living in­ the past loserfools...

    BEL pa zed

    From Brian, on Thu 21 May 4:04PM

  13. just say Liverpool are a better at­ winning the­ Champions League than Manchester­ United......get over­ it re____tard!

    From PeterH, on Thu 21 May 3:17PM

  14. Liverpool have won the Champions League more­ times­ than Manchester United. FACT!

    Manchester Uniteds­­ 'HISTORY' in the Champions League under­­ Ferguson is SHOCKING! HIS RECORD IS THE WORST OF ANY­­ MANAGER IN THE HISTORY OF THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE!!!­­ FACT!

    Two wins in 21 years! if you win next week­ which­ I doubt that still only means 3 wins in 22­ years!!! ­

    Only the glory hunters will gloat next­ week? about­ what?....being utter rubbish in the­ Champions League­ for the past 22 years under Ferguson!­

    check your­ HISTORY! 3 Champions League wins in 50­ years!

    From PeterH, on Thu 21 May 3:16PM

  15. 71. From tasdeon, on Wed 20 May 4:46PM

    haven't­­ Liverpool been to more Champions League cup finals­ than­ Mr Ferguson and Manchester United and won­ Champions­ League more times!

    PMSL

    From PeterH, on Thu 21 May 3:15PM

  16. bosun, Rafa won the C.L. in his first year because he­ was basically still using Houlier's squad and­ hadn't had too much time to tinker with it at that­ point! LOL

    From johnny.brandie, on Thu 21 May 12:08PM

  17. the best hull can hope for is that rio is not too­ fit,but in any case the champions whoever play will be­ out to prove themselves,saf does not suffer losers,it­ will be hard- on hull,they will need to be superfit,a­ o-o draw is best they can expect,and then only if they­ can hold out in the last few minutes,if hulls legs­ go,they have had it.anyway goodluck hull your team has­ proved to be exceptional"brief encounter".!!

    From impactclean, on Thu 21 May 10:35AM

  18. the best hull can hope for is that rio is not too­ fit,but in any case the champions whoever play will be­ out to prove themselves,saf does not suffer losers,it­ will be @#$% hull,they will need to be superfit,a o-o­ draw is best they can expect,and then only if they can­ hold out in the last few minutes,if hulls legs go,they­ have had it.anyway goodluck hull your team has proved­ to be exceptional"brief encounter".!!

    From impactclean, on Thu 21 May 10:33AM

  19. bosun-dele you heard it, right?

    From thechrez, on Thu 21 May 5:42AM

  20. It took fergie so long because when he came united were­ in total shambles - when benitez came Liverpool were a­ little above average so cud it have been so difficult­ for him to regroup? Anyway here we are still and he­ hasn't won it

    From thechrez, on Thu 21 May 5:38AM
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