Anderson proves fitness ahead of final
Brazil midfielder Anderson may have played himself into Manchester United’s Carling Cup final squad with a reserve team run-out against local rivals Manchester City last night.
The former FC Porto star has been an ever-present in United’s run to Wembley, where they will face Tottenham on Sunday, but has been sidelined since being stretchered off after the final whistle of the second-leg of the semi-final against Derby last month.
Ten days ago, Alex Ferguson expressed doubts that Anderson would have recovered from his ankle injury in time to face Harry Redknapp’s men.
However, Anderson managed to get through the first-half of the 2-1 win without a problem and providing he suffers no reaction, should play some part in the weekend showpiece even if it is as a substitute.
Fabio Da Silva could also be involved after featuring for an hour last night, while Zoran Tosic completed the full 90 minutes.
And, while the Blues first-team was reaching the last 16 of the UEFA Cup, Bulgarian striker Valeri Bojinov was taking another step towards a senior comeback after 18 months out with serious knee and Achilles problems, netting City’s consolation goal as they missed out on the chance to go top of the table.
