Neville back on duty for spot of senior service

Dis-united: Ferguson and Neville exchange heated words during the Champions League match against Lille last week
14 April 2012

Sir Alex Ferguson is considering asking captain Gary Neville to play in an under-strength team for tonight's FA Cup replay at Reading.

Manchester United manager Ferguson will rest a host of senior stars at the Madjeski Stadium tonight as he looks ahead to Saturday's crucial Premiership match at Liverpool.

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But although Neville was originally set to be one of them, it is understood that Ferguson may now play him after leaving his skipper out of the team that won at Fulham at the weekend.

Neville was left out at Craven Cottage after becoming involved in an altercation with Ferguson during the chaotic scenes that marred last week's Champions League victory at Lille.

Sources at United have indicated this week that he was omitted as a one-off punishment.

United do not travel to Berkshire until today and Ferguson has not yet made the final decision on his team.

But it is known that Neville was in his usual right-back berth as United practised team shapes for the match at their Carrington training centre yesterday along with fringe players such as Darren Fletcher, John O'Shea, Ji-Sung Park, Kieran Richardson and Alan Smith.

Senior players such as Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Henrik Larsson are not expected to start tonight's game which will leave Neville as by far the team's most experienced player, if he plays.

Ferguson admitted at the weekend that he will select tonight's line-up with the Liverpool game in mind.

"It will influence me in terms of leaving out the older players in my team," said Ferguson.

"The likes of Scholes, Giggs, Larsson are unlikely to be involved - but that apart everyone else will be there." United dearly want to win tonight's match in order to prolong their assault on three major trophies and to make up for the disappointment of the 1-1 draw against Reading at Old Trafford a week-and-a half ago.

Nevertheless tonight's game will feature two under-strength teams as Ferguson and his opposite number Steve Coppell prioritise the Premiership.

United forward Alan Smith is likely to be in the 16 for the visitors a little over a year since breaking his ankle at Liverpool in a FA Cup fifth round tie.

The former Leeds player aborted one comeback at the start of the season after suffering a setback and has rejected the chance to go to numerous clubs on loan as he has fought to get back in to the Old Trafford first team.

Ferguson said: "I said to Alan at the time that I thought going out on loan would be a good thing for him but he had the drive and ambition to say 'I want to get back into the team'. And that is great.

"It was his decision not to go and I was pleased he was convinced he could get back in the squad.

"That showed great faith in himself and I like that.

"The one thing you know abut Alan Smith is that he has great courage and great enthusiasm to play football and that will always give him a chance.

"Alan has been unfortunate because of the form of the team but he still has a long-term future at the club.

"If we can get a bit of football in him at Reading that will help him and that will only help for the later stages of the season when we might need him.

"He's not the only one to have been out of the team.

"Look at Kieran Richardson. He has not had much football and he is a bloody good footballer.

"Things can change with the team. Louis Saha is not in the side at the moment but a few months ago I couldn't see my team without him.

"And Mikael Silvestre and Gabriel Heinze have been fantastic players for this club but they are not in the side at the moment either simply because the players in front of them have been excelling.

"We will use our squad and it is so important that I do that in terms of getting minutes on the clock for all players - but the most important thing is to play a team that wins at Reading.

"There's no question our options are better than last season."

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