Ferguson in market for central defender

ALEX FERGUSON’S search for an experienced central defender to bolster his side’s Champions League challenge has been given fresh urgency by the latest injury setback for luckless defender Wes Brown.

Confirmation that the 23-year-old England international ruptured cruciate ligaments in his left knee during Sunday’s 2-1 win at Everton means that Ferguson can write Brown out of his plans at least until Christmas and probably beyond.

It took the Manchester-born player a full 12 months to return from the similar injury he sustained in his right knee during an innocuous training ground incident in August 1999, since when he has suffered a succession of fitness problems to the despair of his manager, who rates Brown as one of the best defenders in the country.

“It is time he got a bit of luck,” said Ferguson, after Brown battled his way back to fitness from the broken ankle suffered after just five minutes of this seasons campaign against Zalaegerszegi in Hungary.

He had stayed injury-free since returning to first-team duties in November and remained a permanent member of the Premiership’s meanest defence right until the final day trip to Goodison, when he caught his studs in the turf trying to challenge Wayne Rooney for possession and was eventually carried off.

Ferguson also knows full-back Gary Neville could struggle to make United’s pre-season tour to the United States in July after having a screw removed from his foot last week, and received an even greater headache with news that Nicky Butt will be forced to undergo an injection this summer to try and ease a worrying ankle problem which required surgery last October.

The 28-year-old midfielder should be available for the start of next season, which does provide Ferguson with the option of dropping skipper Roy Keane into central defence as a ready-made replacement for Brown.

Keane would certainly give United the ‘cunning’ their manager felt was lacking at the back during the recent Champions League defeat to Real Madrid, and would allow him to snap up Rennes’ out-of-contract French U-21 international Julien Escude, who Ferguson tried to sign at the beginning of the campaign just ended.