Dimitar Berbatov could be out if Manchester United's Euro dream dies

Dimitar Berbatov could be sold to fund a high-profile signing
11 April 2012

The future of Manchester United in this season's Champions League is not the only thing in jeopardy at Old Trafford tonight. Another mediocre performance from Dimitar Berbatov could ensure manager Sir Alex Ferguson loses patience with the striker once and for all.

Since the Bulgarian striker joined for a club record £30.75million from Tottenham in 2008, he has struggled to prove value for money.

At Spurs he was an inspiration and displayed a classy touch week in, week out. In contrast, he appears to have become lost among the calibre of players surrounding him in the dressing room at United.

Last season he lived in the shadow, like most of his team-mates, cast by the talent and ego of Cristiano Ronaldo.

This term Wayne Rooney, who has hardly been a shrinking violet since he joined from Everton six years ago, has literally led from the front.

Ferguson is likely to have neither to call upon this evening as he seeks to overturn Bayern Munich's 2-1 advantage from the quarter-final first leg with Ronaldo now moved on to pastures new at Real Madrid, while Rooney is nursing an ankle injury but may have recovered enough for a place on the bench.

It will be up to Berbatov to show some inspiration while leading the line but when given similar responsibility against Chelsea in the heavyweight Premier League clash on Saturday, he was missing in action.

A sound of dismay greeted every one of his wayward touches from the stands as United toiled to a costly defeat. The 29-year-old is certain to be made the scapegoat should there be a repeat against the Germans tonight.

With talk increasing of the need for Ferguson to freshen up an ageing squad in the summer, Berbatov is sure to be one of the names who could be sold to fund a high-profile signing.

However, Berbatov, who has scored 26 goals in 80 appearances, is certainly not ready for his love affair with the club to come to a premature end.

His desire to succeed in a red shirt is as strong as ever, especially having tasted the bitter disappointment with the rest of his team-mates of losing the Champions League Final to Barcelona in the Italian capital last May.

He said: "We have a saying back in Bulgaria: You go to Rome and you didn't see the Pope'. It's like we went to the Champions League Final and we didn't win the cup.

"I have dreamt about winning this all my life so when we lost to Barcelona it was really disappointing. So now I will give everything to be there again.

"I've no complaints whatsoever on and off the pitch. Everybody has been great with me from the first moment I stepped into the dressing room. I am living my dream now.

"There are people who complain about the weather but not me. It doesn't matter if it rains every day, as long as I'm a Manchester United player it doesn't bother me."

The club's fans will be hoping Ferguson finds the words to get the best out of Berbatov and the rest of the team tonight for Bayern could prove to be an even tougher test than they were last week in Munich.

Arjen Robben and Bastian Schweinsteiger are in line to return to the starting line-up following a calf strain and suspension respectively to increase the visitors' goalscoring threat.

Bayern coach Louis van Gaal believes the tie is evenly poised and said: "Naturally, we have a lot of self-belief but we know Manchester United are a top team. Are they favourites? Yes.

"They have lots of experience of winning games at home and we know what they can do. They got an away goal and we have quite a young team but we have a chance."

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