MANCHESTER UNITED boss Alex Ferguson has admitted Rio Ferdinand is likely to miss Saturday’s Premiership opener with West Brom.

MANCHESTER UNITED’S beleaguered board will take another step towards staving off the threat of a Malcolm Glazer takeover tomorrow - and upset supporters too.

LEEDS and Manchester United were last night locked in negotiations over Rio Ferdinand's future after the Elland Road club rejected a second bid for the England defender.

ROY Keane hopes to repair damaged friendships with his international team mates and he does not rule out managing the Irish team in the future, it emerged yesterday.

GARY NEVILLE is set to emerge from a Manchester United body count and start for the first time since April against Olympiakos in the Champions League at Old Trafford tomorrow night.

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MANCHESTER UNITED’S legion of supporters have been warned not to get too excited about the possibility of gaining control of the club — but some influential shareholders have previously indicated a willingness to pursue such a venture.

SHAREHOLDERS United believe they will know “within three weeks” whether their £100 million plan to stop Malcolm Glazer’s Manchester United takeover has been successful.

TO DESCRIBE Ireland’s strapping master of versatility as a jolly green giant might be pushing it a bit but John O’Shea is one of those players for whom a broad grin is never too far away.

IKER CASILLAS has signed a new Real Madrid contract which ties him to the Bernabeu until 2011.

REPUBLIC of Ireland international Robbie Keane is to undergo a scan on a serious ankle injury sustained in last night’s 1-0 loss to Newcastle.

DARREN FLETCHER will not allow the disappointment at missing out on Manchester United's Carling Cup triumph to wreck the remainder of his season.

FRENCH defender Mikael Silvestre is quietly confident that Manchester United can mop up at home and abroad this season.

IRATE Manchester United fans have called on chief executive David Gill to run a poll on the club’s official website to prove his claim that only a “small minority” of fans are against Malcolm Glazer’s takeover.

CHELSEA suffered a major blow to their chances of resurrecting their Champions League dream yesterday when Damien Duff was potentially ruled out for the rest of the season.

CHELSEA captain John Terry believes any disgruntled player at Stamford Bridge should follow the example of Joe Cole if they want to make a success of their career under Jose Mourinho.

ALAN SMITH has warned Arsenal that Manchester United will be ready and waiting when the Gunners juggernaut rumbles into Old Trafford on October 24.

JOHN O’SHEA’S exceptional form for Manchester United this season is set to be recognised by the club with a new pay deal this summer.