Injuries mar United’s Turkish trot
Second-half goals from Darren Fletcher, Gabriel Obertan and Bebe extended United’s unbeaten record in all competitions to 23 and ensured they only require a draw against Rangers at Ibrox on November 24 to claim their customary place in the knockout phase with a game to spare.
Manager Alex Ferguson revealed afterwards that Nani and Fletcher are out of Saturday’s Premier League encounter with Wolves.
And whilst it is hoped the damage is not too serious, it is enough to keep two of Ferguson’s most important players out of a key domestic encounter.
“Unfortunately, Nani has a groin injury and is out for Saturday,” confirmed Ferguson.
“I think Darren will be out as well, so that part has been disappointing.
“It is disappointing but these things happen in football. We may have Darron Gibson back after a bout of flu but Anderson has had a virus as well and I don’t think he will be ready.”
Should Ferguson only be without two of his main men on Saturday, he will not regard it as too much of a price to pay.
However, with Manchester City to face at Eastlands next Wednesday, absences for any greater length of time would cause the Red Devils a huge problem.
Not that Ferguson has much to complain about last evening given Nani’s fellow wingers, Gabriel Obertan and Bebe both found the net after Fletcher had broken the deadlock with a well-struck shot early in the second-half of his 50th Champions League appearance.
“Gabriel has been derailed quite a bit by injury,” said Ferguson, of Obertan, who was scoring his first goal for the club.
“It has been a problem for the lad. He had two or three last season and then picked up another in Texas this pre-season that kept him out for five or six weeks.
“But he is back now and as he showed tonight, he has fantastic talent.”
As for Bebe, signed from Vitoria Guimaraes in the summer even though he had never played a competitive game for the club and Ferguson had not seen him in action, the Scot is convinced there is untapped potential to be fulfilled.
“He is a good, young player who still has a lot to learn,” he said.
“He still needs a lot of coaching but the raw talent is there. He is brave and quick, and for such a young player he is a good decision maker.
“The chances of him being able to realise his potential are very good.”
United now require just a point from their trip to Rangers in three weeks to cement a place in the knockout phase.
Bursaspor were marginally the more dangerous in the first half, with Volkan Sen much improved on his woeful efforts at Old Trafford a fortnight ago when the Turkish champions slipped to defeat without much of a fight.
It was Turgay Bahadir who spurned the hosts’ best chance though when Sercan Yildirim provided an intelligent square ball that invited a finish after United’s defence had been exposed two-on-two.
Thankfully for the visitors, veteran goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar advanced quickly, and made an impressive block with his shoulder.
Rather than feel sorry for themselves, United used the interval to refocus. Within two minutes it had paid dividends.
A concerted period of pressure around the Bursaspor box resulted in Michael Carrick picking out Fletcher with an excellent pass to the corner of a packed penalty area. This time, Fletcher’s aim was true and his shot rattled into the far corner.
Given his mounting injury problems, it was perhaps no surprise Ferguson opted to replace Fletcher not long afterwards after his fellow Scot had taken an awkward-looking tumble by the touchline.
Bebe was introduced to provide more width, although containing Sen appeared to be the key to a United victory and Nemanja Vidic was forced to make a well-timed intervention to prevent Yildirim reaching the playmaker’s cross.
But any doubt over the outcome was ended 17 minutes from time when Park released Obertan, who intelligently stepped inside Ali Tandogan before crashing a shot into the roof of the Bursaspor net.
And on their next attack, the visitors had another with Bebe running on to Scholes’ brilliantly disguised pass before calmly finishing from 10 yards.
BURSASPOR: Ivankov, Tandogan, Erdogan, Ibrahim Ozturk, Wederson, Bahadir, Svensson, Ergic, Sen (Odabasi 81), Insua (Nunez 75), Yildirim (Ipek 75).
MAN UTD: Van der Sar, Rafael Da Silva, Smalling, Vidic, Evra (Fabio Da Silva 80), Scholes, Carrick, Nani (Park 29), Fletcher (Bebe 62), Obertan, Berbatov.
Referee: Wolfgang Stark (Germany).
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