Jonny Evans cannot wait to get stuck into Manchester City as
Manchester United bid to recover from the big blow of losing to
Leeds on Sunday.
Evans has finally returned to action after almost two months
out of action with a calf problem picked up on international duty
with Northern Ireland.
Unfortunately for Evans, who celebrated his 22nd birthday at
the weekend, the present he really wanted never arrived as United
were bundled out of the FA Cup by Simon Grayson's impressive League
One outfit.
If there is a minor consolation for the Red Devils, it is
they do not have any time to mope, with City on the horizon in the
first leg of an eagerly-awaited Carling Cup semi-final.
"We are right in the middle of a really busy time of season,"
Evans told the club's official website. "But as a player it is one
you really enjoy because there are lots of big games.
"As well as the league, we have got two big Carling Cup
matches against Manchester City.
"It is an exciting time. Now I just want to play as big a
part as I possibly can."
Evans' lack of match practice may count against him when Sir
Alex Ferguson sits down to pick his side. However, much will depend
on the availability of Nemanja Vidic, whose future has been the
subject of so much speculation recently, even though he has
publicly stated his willingness to sign a new Red Devils contract.
Given he withdrew from Sunday's game after the warm-up and
Ferguson appeared at a loss to explain why, it was hardly a
surprise Vidic should find himself in the middle of a number of
conspiracy theories.
Yet the word out of the United camp is the Serbian tweaked a
nerve, hence his absence from the Red Devils defence at the
weekend. Ferguson has promised changes so Darren Fletcher, Michael
Carrick and Ryan Giggs should start, and possibly also Paul Scholes
if the veteran midfielder has overcome a hip complaint.
Senegal-born striker Mame Diouf is also available and even
though Ferguson has declared an intention to leave his newest
recruit out of such a big game, such was United's dire performance
at the weekend, and so impressive has the 22-year-old been in
training since his arrival from Molde, that Ferguson might be
tempted to stick him on the bench.
