Manchester United youngsters deserve their shot at City

[Mark (Blue Army)]

Sir Alex Ferguson will give his injury-ravaged squad as much of a break as possible by sticking with his fringe players for the Carling Cup semi-final with Manchester City.

United, on the back of their first home defeat in domestic competition since March, host Wolves on Tuesday night with a dozen players, including Rio Ferdinand, Jonny Evans and Owen Hargreaves, still sidelined through injury. Ryan Giggs, voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year on Sunday, is also rated doubtful.

Ferguson is likely to continue to deploy Darren Fletcher as a makeshift right-back against Mick McCarthy's side, so scant are the resources available to him, and a first-leg tie with their Manchester fierce rivals at Eastlands on Jan 6, immediately after the packed Christmas Premier League schedule, places further strain on an already stretched squad.

But Ferguson has vowed to stand by the players who have brought United to the cusp of a third consecutive Wembley appearance despite the prospect of handing the initiative, and local bragging rights, to City.

"We are now two games away from Wembley in the Carling Cup," the United manager said. "We will enjoy the ties and these lads will play again.

"You might think that playing Manchester City in the semi-final might test my resolve but it will not, even though Mark Hughes seems to play full-strength teams in the Carling Cup.

"What you have to remember is that these boys won the competition last season. They are good players and I will keep faith in them. You make a judgment and then you show trust and patience. They are the future of Manchester United and they have to learn their trade."

[Blueboylewis]

I have already made a thread on it a bit further down :)