Ferguson set for Duff swoop

Alex Ferguson will disembark from an uncomfortable 14-hour journey to the United States later this evening determined to wreck Damien Duff’s proposed move to Chelsea.

By the time Ferguson and his Manchester United squad land in the west coast city of Portland and make their way to the luxurious Nike training base which will be their home for the next week, word will have filtered through that their self-imposed deadline for the capture of Ronaldinho has passed without a reply.