The veteran Dutchman missed Saturday's win at West Ham as a precaution and twice on Wednesday night, back-up keeper Tomasz Kuszczak was sent to warm up amid fears Van der Sar was struggling. In the end, Nemanja Vidic started taking goal kicks, a decision that landed the 40-year-old with a yellow card as referee Alberto Undiano Mallenco viewed it as time wasting on Van der Sar's part. However, the former Ajax man, United's shoot-out hero in the final against Chelsea three years ago, insists it is not a serious problem. "When I dived to save a shot from Torres, I went 105% for my take-off," he revealed. "My calf gave way a little bit and I ended up with cramp. "I didn't train a lot in the last couple of weeks, so maybe it was a bit of tiredness or something." It would be no surprise if Sir Alex Ferguson took Van der Sar out of the firing line at the weekend, when United entertain Fulham at Old Trafford. The fact new signing Anders Lindegaard is currently sidelined with a knee problem limits United's options slightly, but Kuszczak has proved an able deputy in the past and, as at Upton Park, could be trusted to keep out the Cottagers as the Red Devils close on a record 19th league title. Ferguson will definitely want to have Van der Sar available for Tuesday's return encounter with Chelsea at Old Trafford, when United will bid to defend a slender one-goal lead. Van der Sar was one of those chiefly responsible for giving the Red Devils their advantage, saving superbly from Torres in the second half after denying the £50million man in the opening period when the scores were still level. Twice a winner of the competition, United's goalkeeper is too experienced to take anything for granted as some outside the club are already looking towards a potential final meeting with either Barcelona or Real Madrid, who are well-placed in their last-eight clashes, at Wembley on May 28. "We are not thinking about Real Madrid or Barcelona," he said. "We have a game against Fulham on Saturday. That is only two days away. Then we have Chelsea again. That is all we are looking at just now."
