SOCCER/Everton v Manchester Utd:ALEX FERGUSON has admitted Manchester United's trips to Everton are always "a nightmare" even without taking into account the Wayne Rooney factor.

After six days of his best player being plastered over the front pages because of those damning allegations in his private life, it took Ferguson just 16 words to inform the world he would not be responsible for any further comment.

Words might have been exchanged behind closed doors but a feature of Ferguson’s illustrious managerial career, which reaches its 700th Premier League game tomorrow, is an ability to protect his players from further suffering, whether self-inflicted or not.

The attitude has so often been rewarded in the past and, when his team run out at Goodison Park this morning, Ferguson will hope Rooney responds in the appropriate manner.

“Let’s put it to bed straightaway,” said the United boss. “I am not discussing any of my players’ personal lives.

“It is always a nightmare going there and it wouldn’t matter whether it was Dixie Dean playing for us. It is a hard place to go to.

“The atmosphere is fantastic. But we have had to deal with it for many years and there is no problem with our record there.”

Ferguson was joined by rival manager David Moyes in trying to play down the Rooney factor.

At his press conference Moyes said he did not want to discuss the issue.

“I think if you are a good football journalist you don’t ask those kind of questions,” he told a reporter from Sky Sports who tried to raise the subject. “If you are a gossip journalist you ask me those questions. I am interested in talking about the game and that’s what I’ll do.”

Rooney himself joined the clamour for privacy when he released a joint statement with his wife Coleen last night.

“The last six days have been extremely painful for us and for our families,” said the statement.

“It is impossible for us, as it would be for any family, to attempt to resolve any issues in the current media glare and against the backdrop of so many inaccurate and intrusive stories.

“We would therefore ask that the media now respects our privacy and the right of our family to discuss these matters in private.”

Ferguson will at least be able to usher a fit-again Rio Ferdinand back into his squad for today’s game but the manager said he still has no idea when, or if, the luckless Owen Hargreaves would be able to resume his career.

Ferguson has also had to contend with the news that Michael Carrick will be out for three weeks after seeing a specialist in London on Thursday about a foot problem, but Ferdinand’s availability is a major boost as United embark on an important run of games.

“Rio had a nightmare last season with injuries,” said Ferguson. “He missed the World Cup because of injury and the main incentive for him now is to stay fit because if he stays fit he is going to be picked for England because he is still their best centre-back.”

Ferdinand has not played since a training-ground collision with his England colleague Emile Heskey ended with him damaging knee ligaments and missing the World Cup.

“We have three big games in eight days,” Ferguson said. “He’s ready to start [against Everton] and after that we have Rangers on Tuesday and Liverpool on Sunday so it’s great to have him back.”

The diagnosis on Hargreaves is nothing like as good. The midfielder has been in the United States for the past two months for specialist work on his knee problems, and Ferguson has left him out of United’s 25-man Champions League squad because “quite simply, it would have been silly to put him in”.

The Brazilian midfielder Anderson is unlikely to be involved today after picking up a knock on reserve team duty on Thursday, although Ferguson described it as “nothing serious”.

The manager also made it clear that Ryan Giggs will not be available should Wales ask him to join their coaching staff in the wake of John Toshack’s resignation. “We have spoken about it and it will not happen. It would be impossible to do both [play for United and have a role with Wales] and we have to be selfish here. He’s a United player and that’s how it stays.”