United blow as Ferguson confirms O’Shea to miss rest of the season

ALEX FERGUSON has revealed that John O’Shea is set to miss the rest of the season.

The Waterford man hasn’t played since being forced to come off just past the hour mark in Ireland’s World Cup play-off game against France in Paris in November and, according to the Manchester United manager, complications arising out of that injury are having serious repercussions for the Ireland international.

“He’s got a terrible injury at the moment,” said Ferguson, in Dublin last night. “It’s one of those sorts of injuries that are unusual. It’s like a dead leg except a dead leg is usually only three or four days. The problem is that the blood clot became all knotted and when it gets knotted you get calcification, so therefore it’s a long process to clear that up and he’ll probably be out for the rest of the season now.

“It’s a bad blow for the boy. Because O’Shea could play anywhere and, with all the problems I’ve had in the back four this season, he could have played in every one.”

However, the Manchester United manager certainly won’t be sorry that O’Shea will miss Ireland’s March friendly against Brazil in London.

“I think the friendly date in March is ridiculous,” said Ferguson. “If you think about it, the last few years the British clubs have been involved in European ties in March and then you have this international break. I think last year we had a quarter-final of the European Cup the following week. That’s hard to take – if a player comes back with an injury, it’s even worse.”

Ferguson, speaking in Trinity College, where he was made an honorary patron of the Philosophical Society, also reflected on one Irish player who got away.

“Shay Given was at United as a kid,” Ferguson said. “But his father wanted him to sign for Celtic – and he did.” With a laugh, the United boss added: “Silly bugger!”

Meanwhile, there’s no doubt Gary Neville unwittingly inspired Carlos Tevez to his Carling Cup semi-final heroics at Eastlands.

While the FA have yet to reach a definitive decision on Neville’s one- fingered gesture following Tevez’s first-half leveller in Tuesday night’s Manchester derby, it is virtually certain he will escape sanction.

The punishment will come on February 28 instead if Neville has to watch City ending their 29-year wait for a cup final appearance at Wembley.

Neville told a Malta newspaper that his club were right to get rid of Tevez. The ire drove Tevez to a couple of taunting celebrations, the second right in front of Ferguson, with the promise that, given half a chance, he will be twisting the knife fully at Old Trafford next week.

“Carlos was fired up because of what was said so this game was a dream for him,” confirmed Tevez’s clubmate and countryman, Pablo Zabaleta.

“United fans know he was a big loss because he was a great player for them.”