Fergie considering van Nistelrooy start

Alex Ferguson will spend the next 48 hours weighing up one of the toughest decisions he has faced during 18 illustrious years as Manchester United manager.

After watching his FA Cup holders stroll past Everton to book their place in tomorrow’s sixth round draw, Ferguson’s thoughts immediately switched to Wednesday’s crucial Champions League showdown with AC Milan – and whether he should send Ruud van Nistelrooy straight into battle.

Ferguson confirmed he never had any intention of playing the Dutchman at Goodison Park, despite claiming he was fit enough to make the trip.

Instead, van Nistelrooy spent the morning pushing his body through yet another training session as he continues his recovery from the Achilles problem that has kept him out of action since November.

Ferguson feels his star striker is fit enough to face Milan and has proved already this season, when Rio Ferdinand returned from an eight-month suspension against Liverpool, that he is not afraid to let players off the leash when an obvious lack of match practice might suggest a more cautious approach.

The question rolling round in Ferguson’s mind is whether such a tactic should extend to the biggest game of United’s season so far, even when it involves a man who has scored a staggering 36 goals in 37 European appearances for the Red Devils.

“Ruud will certainly be involved but clearly I have some big decisions to make,” he said.

“We may be putting him in cold but he has been great in training and every time he plays in a European game, you just know he is going to score.”

With Milan, despite the loss of their own star striker Andriy Shevchenko to a fractured cheekbone, virtually unbeatable at home and goals expected to be at a premium in the mouth-watering two-legged tussle, Ferguson looks certain to give Van Nistelrooy his chance.

Such a move would mean the axe for at least one member of yesterday evening’s starting line-up, presumably Quinton Fortune, the most expendable of United’s offensive players despite the South African’s first half opener.

Certainly Wayne Rooney can expect to be involved after an impressive show of restraint on his first return to his former club, even if Nigel Martyn twice denied him the goal he craved.

Rooney is currently in the best form of his fledgling United career just now, as is Cristiano Ronaldo, who defied an appalling surface to repeatedly trick his way through the Everton defence in a one-sided encounter that will be overshadowed by the deplorable coin-throwing incident in the stadium and the running battles that occurred in the streets of Liverpool after the final whistle.

Ronaldo set up Fortune’s effort, then wrapped up victory with a close range finish after Nigel Martyn had spilled Paul Scholes’ deflected free-kick.

“Cristiano was fantastic,” purred Rio Ferdinand, who wore the captain’s armband for the last nine minutes as Roy Keane put his feet up in readiness for Wednesday’s encounter.

“He took the ball in tight situations, as quality players do, and made something happen.”

Having sat out last year’s Millennium Stadium win over Millwall as part of his lengthy suspension, Ferdinand has an extra incentive to steer United back to the Welsh capital in May and on this evidence, they are certain to make it.

But this week at least, nothing will be allowed to deflect attention away from the visit of Milan, who have twice dumped the Red Devils out of the European Cup semi-finals and won the competition for the sixth time at Old Trafford just two seasons ago.

“I have not been involved in an FA Cup final yet, so it is something I want to add to the list,” said Ferdinand.

“But all we are doing now is focusing on Milan.

“We look to be in good shape just now. We are playing with great authority and confidence and it has done us no harm to lead into it with a good result.

“It is a massive game. There will be some great players on show and everyone at the club is looking forward to it.”