PETE'S UP FOR THE FA CUP!
Peter Schmeichel yesterday gave Manchester United a massive boost by declaring himself fit for the FA Cup. The champions' skipper will be back for the trip to Chelsea on Sunday after missing the Christmas programme with a bad back. Schmeichel sped away from Old Trafford on Boxing Day after waking up to aches and pains, and he was missing at Coventry as United crashed to a 3-2 Premiership defeat. Schmeichel could have played instead of stand-in Kevin Pilkington with boss Alex Ferguson willing to take a chance. But it was decided not to risk the great Dane before the glamour tie of the round at Stamford Bridge. Schmeichel will return in a week that sees Ferguson saying goodbye to Benfica-bound Karel Poborsky - a surprise Christmas move brought about largely by one man - David Beckham. It was the England star's meteoric rise to fame that robbed the Czech of a permanent place in the champions' side. That situation that wasn't foreseen when the United manager snapped up Poborsky for pounds 3.5 million after his sensational Euro 96 performances. Poborsky arrived in a blaze of glory with the nickname The Express Train. But in his 18-month spell at Old Trafford, he was shunted into the sidings as Beckham blossomed into an England and United regular. Poborsky was left tearing his long hair out in frustration on the subs' bench. The Czech flyer was desperate to stay at United and wanted to bring up his family in England. But he faced a losing battle to play enough games to retain his work permit, with only six starts this season. It was a grim no-go situation that forced Poborsky to accept the offer to join Benfica in a pounds 3 million deal. Ferguson, though, is in no doubt that the right decision was made to cash in now before red tape caused problems in the summer. He says: "It was the right time to sell Karel. We were always up against it with the work permit. "When we signed him it was the right thing to do as well. He was one of the most exciting players of Euro 96. "If it hadn't been for the emergence and great progress of Beckham then Poborsky would have been good for United. "Nobody can predict how well a young player will go, but Beckham did make great strides, and that made it very difficult for Karel. No matter how well he did it was always going to be tough to dislodge Beckham on the right. "But Poborsky has been a terrific professional and a smashing lad. He deserves to do well at Benfica." Poborsky's departure leaves Ferguson with a couple of places to fill before finalising his 25-strong Champions League squad for the January 31 deadline. But his 12-month search for new talent might now be concentrated nearer to home after the latest failure to capture Chilean striker Marcelo Salas. Ferguson adds: "I am down to 23 players from my original 25. I need to register two more and they can obviously be from within the club. "There are the likes of Chris Casper and Ronnie Wallwork. We shall also be looking abroad but there's nothing yet." |