CRISTIANO Ronaldo is begging Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson to let him play against Chelsea on Sunday.
Ronaldo returned to duty following ankle surgery in Wednesday’s Champions League draw with Villarreal.
Despite some concern being expressed about the reception Ronaldo would get after his summer dalliance with Real Madrid, the United fans enthusiastically backed the Portugal star.
And now the 23-year-old wants to be let loose against his former Portugal national team boss Luiz Felipe Scolari.
“Cristiano is bursting to play,” confirmed Ferguson.
“He is nibbling in my ear all the time.
“He has trained very well and is a natural athlete, so I have no qualms on that score. I just have to decide whether it is the right time.”
Ferguson could certainly do with a few of the 42 goals Ronaldo delivered last season.
United have scored just four times in five competitive matches so far this season, with Carlos Tevez the only striker to find the net.
It is a run that must be brought to an end if Ferguson’s side are not to fall nine points adrift of Chelsea this weekend, a staggering gap even if the Old Trafford outfit would still have a game in hand.
“I just want my team to put the ball into the net,” said the Scot.
“We are simply not scoring enough goals to turn the whole thing round.
“But it will come. By October we will be fine. I have no doubt in my mind about that.”
Although Dimitar Berbatov is fit, it seems highly unlikely the £30million man will play alongside Ronaldo, Tevez and Wayne Rooney.
Shadow
If any of the quartet were to stand down, on current form it would be Rooney, who looked a shadow of the player who starred for England in Croatia as United drew their midweek blank.
Yet Ferguson claims to be unconcerned, meaning Berbatov’s lack of recent match practice may see him consigned to the bench, where Owen Hargreaves could also find himself now that Paul Scholes is back from suspension.
The United boss also has a major dilemma in defence, where Wes Brown and Jonny Evans could both replace the banned Nemanja Vidic, with Gary Neville coming in at right-back if the younger man got the nod.
While facing Chelsea is nothing new in itself, going toe to toe with Scolari will be for Ferguson, who was not always complimentary about the Brazilian’s handling of Ronaldo.
It is a challenge he is relishing, even if the language barrier means the personal duel may lack some of the intensity of his scraps with Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho.
“It is interesting,” said Ferguson.
“You wait to see what impact a manager has.
“You want to know whether they are going to change their style or what type of players they will buy in. You also want to know what his principles are and what he believes in because all managers are different.”
Scolari’s major changes appear to be pushing both his full-backs further forward and introducing Deco - Ronaldo’s former international team-mate - who is less forceful in style than now injured midfield colleague Michael Essien but seems to be just as effective.
“Deco is a nice footballer,” said Ferguson.
“He is diminutive and clever. He does not have the same athleticism as Essien but it does not make them any less as a team.”
Chelsea’s 84-game unbeaten record on home soil provides United with a challenge to overcome.
And Ferguson is determined they will not fail for the lack of trying.
“This is a big game,” he said.
“You want a good haul out of matches against the other top teams.
“We did very well last season but we have lost the first one already and we cannot afford to lose another.
“It is a great challenge for us because Chelsea have not lost at home for so long.
“I know a lot of people do not expect us to win, which is unusual for our club. That is the challenge. Let’s get on with it.”
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