Fergie: Rooney and Hernandez Back

Sir Alex Ferguson expects forwards Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez to return from injury for Manchester United against Norwich at the weekend.

Rooney was a surprise absentee from United's draw with Stoke last weekend after sustaining a hamstring injury in training, while Hernandez picked up a dead leg at the Britannia Stadium.

Ferguson initially claimed Rooney could be sidelined for weeks, but the forward seems set to return after missing the midweek draw with Basel in the Champions League.

"Wayne and Hernandez should be fit for tomorrow," Ferguson said. "They've been training very well so I'm pleased. We'll hopefully have Jonny Evans back too."

Defensive reinforcements should also be available after the upcoming international break, a welcome boost for Ferguson after some sloppy performances in Tuesday's 3-3 draw against Basel at Old Trafford.

He said: "At the moment we're making too many changes in the back four so hopefully his [Evans] return will help us with the defensive part. [Nemanja] Vidic, [Tom] Cleverley and [Chris] Smalling should be ready after the internationals and available for Liverpool.

"There's been talk of underestimating our opponents [Basel] - I think there's an element of truth to that. But we have to be better defensively."

De Gea Warned Over Stolen Doughnut

Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea has found himself in a sticky situation after being warned for allegedly eating a Krispy Kreme doughnut at a local shop without paying for it.

De Gea, who joined United this summer from Atletico Madrid, earns around £70,000-a-week but apparently decided that he wasn't willing to shell out £1.19 for the sugary treat and, according to the Sun, ate it in store, before attempting to leave.

The Spaniard was tackled by security staff, who showed him CCTV footage of the incident in the store's "stop and search" room.

A source told the paper: "They [De Gea and his two friends] weren't very subtle. They swaggered in chatting loudly in Spanish. The security guards who monitor the CCTV watched two of them take a doughnut each out of the Krispy Kreme cabinet. Incredibly, they then appeared to try to leave without paying - or buying anything else for that matter."

De Gea avoided a jam as he was given warning and police were not called to the scene. On Thursday night a Tesco spokesman said: "A customer was spoken to by our security team and the issue was resolved."

Scholes Sympathetic Toward Tevez

Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes says he sympathises with one-time team-mate Carlos Tevez over his apparent refusal to warm-up during the Champions League defeat at Bayern Munich.

Tevez has been embroiled in controversy and speculation since the midweek trip to Germany, and earned the wrath of manager Roberto Mancini, among others, in the aftermath of the incident. But Scholes has expressed a level of understanding for Tevez's situation after revealing he went through a similar experience at United.

"I know Carlos quite well. He's a player who wants to be playing,'' Scholes told BBC Radio 5 live. "When he's a sub, it will be killing him.

"It's totally up to the manager but Carlos wouldn't have been thinking that. He'll be thinking, 'The manager is against me, why is he not bringing me on? I'm City's best player and he's not playing me'.

"I'm not saying he [Tevez] is right - it's totally up to the manager."

Scholes, who retired from playing in the summer to take up a coaching role at United, refused to play in a League Cup tie in 2001 having been dropped for the previous game against Liverpool.

He explained: "You think you should be playing and my head was all over the place. I thought he [Sir Alex Ferguson] was messing me about, wrongly really. It's up to him what he does with his team.

"I realise it was stupid. I let the manager down and it was something I regretted. It's probably similar to Carlos Tevez's state of mind if it is true he refused to come on."

Welbeck Out to Keep His Place

Danny Welbeck is determined to repay Sir Alex Ferguson's faith in him and become the latest local lad to make good in a Manchester United shirt. Welbeck, 20, was picked by Ferguson to lead the line against Basle in the Champions League - ahead of Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Owen - and responded with two goals in an 80-second spell.

Welbeck's display was one of the few positives for Ferguson in the 3-3 draw which highlighted some defensive frailties for United, and the England striker is desperate for more opportunities to prove his worth.

Welbeck said: "The manager shows time and time again he will give local players a chance and it is then up to the individual to take it. I hope I can.

"I don't know whether it is harder for local boys up front to make it. I can only look at myself and take my opportunities when they come.

"To score those two goals was a bittersweet moment for me. To get two Champions league goals, I am buzzing about that, but we didn't get the win we should have done.

"I hope I have done enough to play against Norwich. We have some great strikers at the club and whoever is in there will give it 100%. I just hope I get my chances.''

Welbeck had a successful season on loan at Sunderland last year but believes he is still developing.

"I think I'm a better person than a year ago because I went to Sunderland and got more minutes in the Premier League,'' he added. "It was really good for my career and I'm just really pleased at the moment. Naturally I've been growing, I'm still only 20 years old, I'm 21 in a couple of months so I'm just naturally developing into a man.''

Lindegaard Staying Upbeat

Anders Lindegaard remains confident that he will be given the chance to prove his worth at Manchester United this season.

Lindegaard put in an impressive performance in the 1-1 draw at Benfica earlier this month and, with doubts having been raised over David De Gea earlier in the season, there were calls for the Denmark goalkeeper to be given the chance to make the position his own.

Following his showing in Benfica, Lindegaard stressed his determination to stay in the first-team - "I am here because I want to be No. 1," he said - but he has not been given an opportunity since. Ben Amos was selected for the recent Carling Cup tie against Leeds, while De Gea has played every other game.

Speaking after Tuesday's 3-3 draw at home to FC Basel, Lindegaard said he has not been told why he has not featured, but he believes he will be given further opportunities as the campaign progresses.

"I've had no explanation," he told TV2 Sport. "That's the way it is. You can't play two goalkeepers, but I will get some more playing time this season.

"You're always disappointed when you don't play. I am still full of confidence, though, because I have a lot of faith in the club and will play plenty of games."

Young Spares United Blushes

Ashley Young rescued Manchester United from an embarrassing defeat by Basle in a match which exposed worrying defensive shortcomings for Sir Alex Ferguson's men in a thrilling 3-3 draw.

United had appeared to be strolling through the match, thanks to Danny Welbeck demonstrating lethal finishing with two goals in just 80 seconds to justify his place at the expense of Dimitar Berbatov.

But United had been given ample warning about Basle's threat with the Swiss side missing a hatful of chances before they stunned Old Trafford with three goals, two from Alex Frei and one from his namesake Fabian Frei, before Young's last-minute header saved a point for United.

Basle remain on top of Group C in the Champions League and this performance will provide Ferguson with some head-scratching, with question marks particularly against Phil Jones and Rio Ferdinand's compatibility in central defence.

The first half was all about Welbeck, however - having been a loan striker last season, the 20-year-old was a lone one against Basle with Ferguson surprising everyone, and not least Berbatov, with his formation.

Ryan Giggs played a key supporting role to Welbeck and was devastatingly influential with the vital touches to allow the young striker to finish.

The first came from a well-worked move. Jones brought the ball forward, Antonia Valencia took over and picked out Fabio's run into the box. A simple ball across the box was cushioned by Giggs into Welbeck's path and although he scuffed his shot slightly it still found the corner.

Just over a minute later and Giggs played a masterful ball that Welbeck struck home with a powerful low shot to make it 2-0.

Basle must have been cursing themselves with both Freis and Marco Streller all having missed the target from decent positions.

Basle coach Thorsten Fink must have been tearing his luscious blond air out, but the second half was a different story.

Ferguson: Basel Handed us Wake Up Call

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson acknowledged Tuesday night's 's 3-3 draw against Basel in the Champions League was ''a wake-up call''.

United led 2-0 with a brace from Danny Welbeck but fell 3-2 down and needed Ashley Young's header to earn a point - their second in as many Group C games.

And Ferguson said after the match: ''I think we were careless. It's a wake-up call in many ways. A lack of concentration saw us give the game away really but we rescued it.

''To concede three goals at home, the defence and midfield have to be better than that in terms of concentration. If you lapse, the quality of the Champions League can make you suffer.''

Ferguson was unimpressed by referee Paolo Tagliavento's decision to award Basle the 75th-minute spot-kick which gave them the lead. The referee decided Antonio Valencia fouled Marco Streller - and Alexander Frei netted.

The Scot continued: ''I don't think it was a penalty. You can see quite clearly that Valencia won the ball. It's a poor decision. The referee kept getting in the way of the game. I think he wanted to play. But what can you do?''

On two-goal Welbeck, Ferguson added: ''He tired a bit in the second half but it was difficult to take him off. If we'd been in a better position we'd have probably taken him off.''

Fabio joined United's injury list tonight - however, the Scot is hopeful of having more options for the weekend's match against Norwich in the Barclays Premier League.

He added: ''I don't think (Chris) Smalling will be back but hopeful of one or two others will be coming back.'' Asked by Sky Sports if Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez were two of them, the Scot said: ''Hopefully.''

Meanwhile, there were mixed emotions for Welbeck after the exciting Old Trafford encounter. Asked if the result felt like a defeat, the striker said: ''Definitely. We started the game so well and went in at half-time 2-0 up.

''We should be finishing games like this, it's not like us. We're very disappointed with the result. They passed the ball well and I think we found it pretty difficult but we should have put the game away. Now we've just got to get back into training and get on with it.''

On his personal contribution, the England international added: ''I'm over the moon to get two goals in the Champions League but it's a team game and I'm really disappointed.''

Basle coach Thorsten Fink - who was a player for Bayern Munich when they were beaten by United in the 1999 Champions League final - said: "It was a great result for us - I don't imagine many teams go two goals down here and then turn the game around. It was a great achievement.

"It was a great game for the fans, I think we were rather nervous in the first half but we settled down after the break and were able to take some chances.

"We deserved at least to draw and as a coach it feels good to come to a club like Manchester United and get such a result.

"The final in 1999 was more of a negative experience and I'm glad my team is able to celebrate tonight.''

Injuries Mount for United

Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez will miss the upcoming Champions League clash with FC Basel at Old Trafford.

Rooney was unavailable for the 1-1 draw with Stoke at the weekend while Hernandez limped off after starting the game, and neither player will be available on Tuesday night.

Asked about Rooney, Ferguson said: "He's not playing tomorrow. It can be difficult to assess a hamstring injury. Obviously we hope we have him back quickly. He did a bit of jogging this morning but that's all. It's difficult to say."

On Hernandez, he added: "His injury is straightforward - it's a dead leg he got on Saturday. He should be ready for next Saturday [against Norwich]."

It is the second game in succession that Hernandez has suffered an injury but Ferguson dismissed the suggestion the Mexican required more protection. "Saturday was an accident, a complete accident," he said.

Despite losing his first-choice strikers, Ferguson will once again be able to call upon Danny Welbeck, while Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Owen will also be pushing their claims, but Manchester United have injury problems throughout the team and there could be eight absentees against Basel.

Jonny Evans (ankle), Chris Smalling (groin) and Nemanja Vidic (calf) did not train, while Rafael (shoulder) is a long-term absentee, which means Antonio Valencia looks likely to again play at right back in a defence also featuring Rio Ferdinand, Phil Jones and Patrice Evra.

In midfield, Tom Cleverley (foot) and Darron Gibson (ankle) remain unavailable.

Basle won their opening fixture in Group C 2-1 against Romanian side Otelul Galati and Ferguson said United would respect their opponents.

He added: ''We played Basle a few years ago and they have always been the premier team in Switzerland. Switzerland have started to produce good young players - in fact they got to final of the European Under-21s this year.

''The national team has always been reasonably good and always seemed to represent themselves quite well and of course the Basle team have good experience of being in Europe quite a few times so we will respect that.''

Ferguson Blasts 'Ridiculous' TV Schedule

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has blamed television schedules for creating ''ridiculous situations'' for teams playing in Europe.

The Scot said the vast amount of money pumped into the game by broadcasters means clubs have lost control of their fixture lists.

''When you shake hands with the devil you have to pay the price. Television is God at the moment,'' he told BBC North West Tonight.

''It shows itself quite clearly because when you see the fixture lists come out now, they can pick and choose whenever they want the top teams on television.

''You get some ridiculous situations when you're playing on Wednesday night in Europe and then at lunchtime the following Saturday. You ask any manager if they would pick that themselves and there'd be no chance.''

The Premier League have seen the biggest growth in the value of television rights from overseas deals - the current deals are worth a total of £1.4 billion over three years, more than double the previous amount.

Despite the fact that United earned more than £60 million in television money from the Premier League last season plus a further £46 million from the Champions League, Ferguson insisted the clubs deserved more.

He pointed out the Premier League sold their product to 200 countries and added: ''When you think of that I don't think we get enough money.''

Rooney Could Miss 'Weeks'

Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed that Wayne Rooney could miss "a few weeks" of Manchester United's season.

United served up a surprise at Stoke on Saturday, as they arrived at the Britannia Stadium without their star man. Ferguson told ESPN after the 1-1 draw that the club had endured a "nightmare" training session on Friday. And it appears Rooney was one of the casualties with a hamstring injury.

"Rooney's is not a serious injury, but it was enough to keep him out today, and I think maybe for a few weeks," Ferguson said.

United lost Jonny Evans in the warm-up, while Javier Hernandez lasted less than 10 minutes before limping off.

If Rooney's problem is as bad as feared, he could miss United's Champions League match with Basel at Old Trafford on Tuesday and possibly England's Euro 2012 qualifier in Montenegro on October 7. United also have Premier League games with Liverpool and Manchester City on the horizon.

Meanwhile, Ferguson labelled Stoke's Peter Crouch a persistent fouler after the striker netted in the 1-1 draw between the clubs as he darted between Rio Ferdinand and Phil Jones to nod home a second half equaliser.

"He fouls all the time," Ferguson said. "He gets off with it because of his height, but he jumps on top of defenders all the time. He has been doing that for a long time. Referees know that. Even with the goal he has maybe caught Phil Jones. He's a handful in the air, no doubt about that."

Evra Wants to See More from United

Manchester United defender Patrice Evra believes he and his team-mates have more to give, despite recording another impressive victory against Chelsea on Sunday.

The reigning Premier League champions have begun the defence of their title in fearsome fashion, winning all five games so far this season with a goal difference of +17.

Chelsea were the latest side to succumb to United when losing 3-1 at Old Trafford, but Evra insists he was not wholly satisfied with the Red Devils' performance.

"Maybe for the first time, we didn't control all the game," Evra told MUTV. "Five wins is a good start but I always want more. I'm happy to win but I hope in the next league game, against Stoke, we create more and not try to rush things.

"I think we tried to rush things and gave the ball away too easily. It's why I'm not so happy. I'm happy because there's a lot of positive things and we scored three times against Chelsea but, if we want to win the league and win every game, we have to perform better than on Sunday."

Evra, who captained United as they moved two points clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table, was pleased to have provided a spectacle for the fans but admitted it was "strange" to see a divergence from the normal tight encounters between the two sides.

"It was a great game to watch for the fans," Evra said. "But it's the first time I've played against Chelsea and seen an open game like that. It was a very funny game but, in the end, we won. We were lucky to be in front 3-0 at half-time so I said to the players: 'Forget the first half and try to play like a team in the second half'.

"It was like a boxing fight, I give you and you give me back. It was really strange. I have a lot of respect for Chelsea. People talk about City and us but I always say Chelsea are our most difficult opponents as you can see.

"They didn't come here just to defend but they attacked and looked to score goals and create chances. I couldn't believe the goal didn't go in from Fernando Torres. Maybe God was with us."