No favours for chief executive's son Gill, vows Alex Ferguson

Published on Monday 7 December 2009 23:11

SIR Alex Ferguson has vowed not to give preferential treatment to Oliver Gill, even though the son of chief executive David Gill has been drafted in as emergency cover for Manchester United's Champions League encounter with Wolfsburg.

With 12 players injured, Ryan Giggs rested and Owen Hargreaves still to make an appearance this term following major knee surgery, Ferguson has been forced to delve into his B-list of players just to make up a squad

Youngsters who have spent two years with a club academy can be added to the original list of 25 players United must supply to UEFA at the start of the competition.

It meant five were on the flight to Germany, with United's legion of autograph hunters forced to ask their names for confirmation.

Gill was among them, having opted against going to university in favour of trying his luck at professional football. But, having once had his son Darren on the playing staff, Ferguson is not likely to give the 19-year-old defender an easy path into the first team.

"It doesn't concern me. If he is good enough, he plays," said Ferguson. "That is the name of the game at Manchester United. I had my own son in the squad for four or five years and he was treated exactly the same as any other member of the squad. It will be the same for Oliver."

It is a measure of United's injury problems that Gill is one of only two natural defenders in the 19-man party. The other, Patrice Evra, is apparently being persuaded to play in central defence against his better judgment, even though he will be giving almost a foot in height to Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko.

"Playing with one defender, it is worth trying," joked Ferguson. "It would be easy to organise anyway."

In truth, Michael Carrick is already earmarked for one central defensive berth while Darren Fletcher will also figure somewhere in the back four, depending on how successful Ferguson is at winning Evra round.

"Wolfsburg will be delighted we have so many injuries," admitted Ferguson. "I know we might come second in the group but I am not sure whether it really makes much difference.

"AC Milan and Real Madrid are in one group, Bordeaux, Bayern Munich and Juventus are in another, Barcelona, Rubin Kazan and Inter Milan in a third, so if you get one of those it doesn't matter whether you have finished first or second.

"The one issue is that if you finish second you have to play the first leg of your knock-out round at home, but that is all."

Beyond question, Ferguson's mind is wandering to Saturday's encounter with Aston Villa and how many of his injury victims might return.

John O'Shea and Jonny Evans have no chance, having been ruled out until next month with a severe dead leg and a calf injury respectively.

Nemanja Vidic should have shrugged off his flu virus by the weekend and while Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov are expected to have recovered from hamstring and knee injuries, the only other potential comeback to face Villa is Wes Brown, who limped out of Saturday's win at West Ham.

"We hope we can get Wes fit," said the United manager.