Ferguson not fazed by Tevez saga

SOCCER UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE:AS ALEX FERGUSON prepares for tonight's Champions League clash with Aalborg he insists he is not frustrated at the length of time taken for Carlos Tevez to sign a permanent contract with Manchester United.

Although he has tended to be squeezed out of Ferguson's first-choice side this season following the arrival of Dimitar Berbatov, Tevez still seems keen to turn his current loan deal into a lengthy stay.

Yet there is no imminent prospect of Tevez signing a contract, despite a series of negotiations between the player's adviser Kia Joorabchian and United chief executive David Gill.

Having been through such difficulties many times before, not least with former captain Roy Keane and Rio Ferdinand - who was famously heckled during a pre-season tour of Asia four years ago as he delayed signing a lucrative extension - Ferguson remains calm about the situation.

"It doesn't frustrate me," said the United manager. "I have been used to it over the years. You just have to be patient. It is not as if we have been short of negotiations.

"But I think we all know they can take a long time, and this one is just going along.

"David has been talking to his agent, so it is best left to him."

There has been a feeling Tevez would wait to see how many games he played this term before committing his future to the Old Trafford outfit.

But Ferguson does not believe there is a problem. The Argentina striker was making his 12th start when he belted home his four-timer in last Wednesday's League Cup win against Blackburn and has now made 21 appearances - more than Rooney or Berbatov - after being introduced as a substitute against Sunderland on Saturday.

Ferguson is confident that should be enough to keep Tevez happy and believes statistics will eventually bear out how important he views the South American within his squad.

"When you have a squad of players, everyone must get their share," said Ferguson. "The important thing is Carlos makes a great contribution. He has started a few games already. By the end of the season, you will see how many he has participated in - and that contribution will have been very important to us.

"No one has played all the games. They have all had minutes on the clock; some have had time on the bench, and sometimes they have not been involved at all.

"That is exactly what happens with squad rotation in the modern game."

Ferguson has said the four-match ban imposed on Patrice Evra for his part in the post-match fracas at Stamford Bridge last season left him stunned.

The Manchester United full-back was also fined €11,000 after the FA found him guilty of improper conduct following a two-day hearing last week.

It means Evra is now due to miss all domestic duty until Chelsea's visit to Old Trafford on January 11th.

United chief executive David Gill is still waiting for written confirmation of the ban and the reasons behind it before deciding whether to appeal. However, despite a long list of battles with Soho Square chiefs, Ferguson feels their latest punishment is the most staggering yet.

"It was a shock," said the Scot. "Of all the things the FA have done to us down the years that was one of their biggest. I could not believe it. You could never tell what these people are doing. Even if I was sitting having breakfast with them I would not know what they were thinking.

"But we are still waiting for the written reasons to be delivered to David Gill so we cannot really comment on what our next step will be."

Cristiano Ronaldo seems certain to miss tonight's encounter with Aalborg. Ronaldo injured a hip in Saturday's win over Sunderland but although he has been able to train, Ferguson feels it would be better to let him have further treatment ahead of the weekend visit to Tottenham.

Michael Carrick is also out with a thigh injury, although the England international should also be fit to face his former club at White Hart Lane. Gary Neville and Ben Foster are set to start tonight, while Paul Scholes is expected to be on the bench.