O’Shea adds to Fergie defensive headache

Manchester United 3 Everton 2

John O’Shea has already been ruled out of the trip to Teesside after limping out of yesterday’s 3-2 win over Everton with a hamstring injury, while Mikael Silvestre is rated extremely doubtful after picking up a knee injury following a clash with Francis Jeffers.

“We will assess Mikael in the morning but it is a sore one,” said Ferguson. “John O’Shea has a hamstring injury and he is definitely out of the Middlesbrough game.”

If Silvestre does not make it, Ferguson must decide whether to play Gary Neville or Roy Keane alongside Rio Ferdinand in central defence or recall Wes Brown, who has played just two reserve team games since his second cruciate knee ligament operation in the summer.

Either way, it leaves the United manager with a problem he could have done without after watching his side reclaim top spot from Arsenal.

Ferguson will be thankful though that Cristiano Ronaldo’s name was not also added to his injury list.

Ronaldo was the victim of some robust Everton tackling and Wayne Rooney was booked for one late lunge on his fellow teenager.

“There were some tough tackles going in on the young lad and I don’t think the referee handled it very well,” said Ferguson.

“It wasn’t his best performance since he joined us but he did very well. He’s always taking the ball forward and it was an excellent display.”

Despite going into the game without Keane, Paul Scholes, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Ryan Giggs, the home side deserved their win.

They nullified the Everton attack for long periods and even supplied one of the visitors’ goals when Gary Neville headed into his own net after 12 minutes.

That inadvertent effort equalised Nicky Butt’s opening strike and though Duncan Ferguson’s late header gave United some anxious moments at the end, the earlier strikes from Kleberson and David Bellion ensured they clinched maximum points.

“We expressed ourselves very well and it looked at though the team enjoyed themselves,” said Ferguson.

“The passing and movement was good and I am pleased with the result.”

Everton boss David Moyes was not too downcast as his team suffered their 15th defeat in 17 matches against United. He refused to condemn Rooney for his approach even though he hauled the youngster off 20 minutes from time.

“It is another learning experience for him,” said the Scot. “He is doing very well and progressing as we want him to.”

Whether the same can be said of his team will be found out over the coming weeks. After notching successive wins before Christmas, the unfamiliar names on the United team-sheet might have offered hope of a hat-trick.

However, Thomas Gravesen never got to grips with Nicky Butt in the midfield battle and the home side gained a momentum.

“Whoever is in the Manchester United side knows exactly what they have to do,” said Moyes.

“You have to be able to stop them playing and until their second goal just before half-time we did that.

“That goal was disappointing because they took a free-kick 15 yards in front of where it was awarded in the build-up. You tell your team to concentrate in situations like that but I have looked at it again and it’s difficult to blame your players when the referee allows something like that to go.”

MAN UTD: Howard, G Neville, Ferdinand, Silvestre (Djemba-Djemba 72), O’Shea (Scholes 50), Ronaldo, Butt, Kleberson, Fortune, Forlan, Bellion.

EVERTON: Martyn, Hibbert, Stubbs, Unsworth, Naysmith, Li Tie, Gravesen, Linderoth (Jeffers 63), Kilbane, Rooney (McFadden 70), Campbell (Ferguson 63).

Referee: M Dean (Wirral).