LONDON: Keeping his defenders fit is the key to Manchester United’s hopes of avoiding a repeat of last season’s costly group-stage exit in the Champions League, manager Alex Ferguson said on Tuesday ahead of their opener against Galatasaray.
Ferguson was constantly shuffling his defensive cards last season with first-choice central defenders Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand playing alongside each other only once in six Group C matches.
United’s failure to reach the last 16 is one of the reasons given for a three percent dip in total revenue in the year to June.
“I think the key is to keep the defenders fit,” Ferguson, whose side are drawn with Galatasaray, Braga and CFR Cluj, said on Tuesday.
“I mean that. We had a rough ride with defenders being injured in the last two or three years. If they remain fit that gives us a better opportunity.”
Injuries to Chris Smalling and Phil Jones have again reduced Ferguson’s options as he prepares for Wednesday’s home clash with the Turkish side, although Ferdinand and Vidic are both fit.
“If I could be guaranteed two would be fit for the rest of the season, I’d gladly take that right now,” he said.
“That’s not been the case over the last few seasons. It’s a key issue for us and we can’t hide it. I just hope we get a bit of luck in that respect.” (Reuters)