English Premiership
Man U SWC stars get a break
2010-07-15 17:20
London - Sir Alex Ferguson plans to begin Manchester United's Premier League title challenge without his team's World Cup stars.
Ferguson is wary of using the players who featured in South Africa in United's opening match of the league campaign against Newcastle at Old Trafford on August 16 because he doesn't want them to suffer from burn-out.
England duo Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick, France captain Patrice Evra, South Korea winger Park Ji-Sung, Serbia defender Nemanja Vidic and Mexico's Javier Hernandez have all been given extra time off to recover after the World Cup.
United, who finished second behind Chelsea in the league last season, headed off for their pre-season tour of America without any of those stars, although Hernandez will link up with the squad on July 27 in time to face his former club Chivas.
After a training camp in Chicago, United will take on Celtic, Philadelphia Union, Kansas City Wizards and the MLS All-Stars before the Chivas clash and the Community Shield against double-winners Chelsea.
Ferguson told Sky Sports News: "Even the (Community) Shield does not come onto the agenda as a need-to-win game, it's being used as the final part of preparation.
"That's on the 8th of August, then there are internationals during that week, and we have the first game the following Monday against Newcastle.
"In that time, after we've surveyed the fitness of the ones who've been at the World Cup because they don't come back until the 28th of July, we'll really know if any of them or all of them should play in the opening game.
"I have the feeling we'll probably not play them all but maybe one or two will play in it."