Ferguson must decide right moment to restore Baudry
FRENCH defender Mathieu Baudry is pushing for a recall at Doncaster Rovers after recovering from injury.
The 29-year-old former Leyton Orient centre-half has yet to play this season after suffering ankle damage.
But he played 60 minutes for the Development side in midweek and his return is a welcome boost for Rovers, who have picked up just two wins in their last 10 League One outings.
Ferguson must decide whether to plunge Baudry straight in for tomorrow’s trip to Charlton Athletic or hold him back for Tuesday’s visit of Portsmouth to the Keepmoat Stadium.
“He looks really fit and sharp, he got a good 60 minutes for the Development side and breezed through it – he could have probably played longer,” Ferguson explained.
“It’s just a case of when we give him the green light really, whether that may be Saturday or Tuesday. We’ll have to wait and see because we have to manage him properly.
“I have to manage him as best I can. He feels he’s ready to go and I wouldn’t disagree with him as he probably could start a game, but he has to fight his way into the team.”
Tomorrow sees Ferguson and Karl Robinson go head-to-head, and the managerial duo have history.
“I have always enjoyed battles with him, Peterborough v Milton Keynes, both of us challenging for promotion,” recalled Rovers’ boss Ferguson.
“He did very well there, still a young guy, but he has good experience as a manager.
“They have got a very good footballing team on the ball, a possession-based game, and it will be a difficult match.
“I am looking forward to it, great stadium, should be a big crowd.
“Their expectations would be aiming to get promotion.” MANCHESTER UNITED manager Jose Mourinho insists the loss of Marouane Fellaini is not an issue ahead of the Europa League champions’ trip to Liverpool tomorrow.
Belgium midfielder Fellaini suffered a knee injury while on international duty last week and could be out for at least a fortnight.
The 29-year-old had been in good form and scored twice in United’s last Premier League outing, their 4-0 win over Crystal Palace, on September 30.
Asked about the injury, Mourinho said: “No blow, no problem. We don’t cry with injuries. We may cry with the process that leads to the injuries, but we don’t cry with the injuries. We just trust the players that are going to play.”
Asked if that meant he had concerns about players going away with their international teams, he said: “Not just international teams, we don’t only have injuries in international teams.”
United have also had concerns about the fitness of striker Romelu Lukaku, but he came off the bench and scored in Belgium’s 4-0 win over Cyprus on Tuesday. The 24-year-old, who has scored 11 goals for United since his summer move from Everton, missed the previous game against Bosnia with an ankle problem.
Liverpool’s plans for were dealt a severe blow after Sadio Mane returned from Senegal duty with a hamstring injury that is set to rule him out for six weeks.
Mane has established himself as a key player since his arrival from Southampton in the summer of 2016, scoring 13 league goals last season despite missing January because of the African Nations Cup and his campaign being ended in early April by a knee injury that required surgery.
The pacy forward scored in his first three Premier League matches before his sending-off at Manchester City.