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Wayne Rooney's two goals against AC Milan have taken his Manchester
United tally for the season to 25 and now he goes to face the club
where he started his career.
The former Everton striker is now a target for the fans at
Goodison Park for leaving the club and United manager Alex Ferguson
might be tempted to give his hardworking striker a break on
Saturday.
But Ferguson needs more goals when the two teams meet as
United tries to catch Chelsea in the Premier League title race.
Ferguson rates Rooney as one of the best players in the world
alongside Lionel Messi, Kaka and former United winger Cristiano
Ronaldo and wants to maintain the momentum with his team just a
point behind Chelsea.
Rooney has started the last 15 league and cup games, scoring
13 times, and Ferguson is likely to stick with his tactic of
fielding the striker alongside two wide players and leaving Dimitar
Berbatov and Michael Owen on the bench.
"There has been an improvement in his game over the last two
months," Ferguson said of Rooney. "Confidence has a lot to do with
that but it's also his ability as a player.
"As I've said about him on a number of occasions what he has
to do is improve his goal scoring. That is what he is doing now.
When you look at the way he is performing at the moment he must be
regarded amongst those players at the highest level."
On Saturday, however, Rooney will have to shut out the
reception he now gets from the Everton fans and try to focus on
adding to his scoring run.
He was unhappy with some of his teammates when the team fell
behind against Milan in Tuesday's Champions League game at San
Siro, which United won 3-2, and hopes that Ferguson gives him the
support he needs to hit the target.
Nani, playing on the right wing, was a particular
disappointment and Ferguson is likely to start with Antonio
Valencia, who replaced the Portuguese player and created more
danger with his crosses and runs.
United's task has been made a little easier because Everton
won't have Marouane Fellaini who is sidelined for six months with a
serious ankle injury which happened in the Feb. 6 loss at
Liverpool. It is also likely to be without attacking midfielder Tim
Cahill, who picked up a calf muscle injury in Tuesday's Europa
League win over Sporting Lisbon.
Chelsea was not in action in midweek and goes to
relegation-threatened Wolves on Saturday hoping to gather three
more points as it moves in sight of regaining the title it last won
in 2006.
Third place Arsenal has six points to make up on Chelsea and
will be confident of gaining a home victory against a Sunderland
side which has won only one and lost nine of its 13 away games in
the league, conceding 28 goals.
Manchester City has climbed to fourth place and has a game in
hand on its rivals. But it has a tough game at home to fifth-place
Liverpool on Sunday in the race to capture a position that opens
the door to the Champions League next season.
Of the other teams realistically in contention, sixth-place
Tottenham visits lowly Wigan and Aston Villa, which is seventh,
hosts next-to-last Burnley.
Last place Portsmouth hosts a Stoke side which has won only
once in 12 away games but has climbed to comparative safety because
of its home form.
In Saturday's other game, relegation strugglers West Ham and
Hull meet at Upton Park. On Sunday, Fulham welcomes Birmingham and
Blackburn is at home to Bolton.
In the race for promotion, Newcastle holds a three-point lead
at the top of the League Championship and hosts Preston and
second-place West Bromwich has a home game against Bristol City.
Third-place Nottingham Forest, which is five points behind,
hosts improving Middlesbrough.
