Destiny is Carling for focused Fergie

IT IS SAFE to say the League Cup has not been Alex Ferguson’s top priority in his 22 years at Old Trafford. He has won it just twice. That’s one less than Leicester City and the same as Norwich.

Yet he will take his Manchester United side to Pride Park tonight for a semi-final first leg against Derby County with a tingle of anticipation for another Wembley appearance in March. No, he will not risk his top stars. There is not likely to be a Cristiano Ronaldo or a Wayne Rooney in the starting line-up.

Why would he? There is a Premier League match against Chelsea at Old Trafford on Sunday which could be a defining psychological moment in the title race. And a Derby side, who had been without a manager until yesterday and who struggled to dispatch Forest Green Rovers in the FA Cup on Saturday, pose no serious threat.