Manchester United Fans Club

Manchester United have revealed that striker Carlos Tevez suffered only a bruised ankle in the New Year’s Day home win over Birmingham.

The Argentina international, 23, was forced off the pitch after 71 minutes of the 1-0 Premier League victory at Old Trafford and was then carried down the tunnel by two members of the backroom staff.

That raised fears that Tevez, who had earlier scored the winner, could even have suffered a broken ankle in a heavy challenge.

But a United spokesman has told the club website: “Nothing is broken, Carlos Tevez has just got a badly bruised right ankle.”

Tevez is still expected to miss Saturday evening’s FA Cup third-round tie at Aston Villa, but could return in time for the visit of Newcastle the following weekend.

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson admitted after the Birmingham game that Tevez was a major concern for the trip to Villa Park, and that is not a situation that will have changed despite Wednesday’s positive assessment.

Ferguson said on Tuesday: “It was a bad tackle and the longer the game went on, the worse the injury got.

“In the end, we had to bring Carlos off. We will assess him tomorrow to see what the damage is but he is doubtful for Saturday now.”

There is little need for the Scot to rush Tevez back into action, given fellow striker Wayne Rooney is on track to face Martin O’Neill’s side after recovering from a virus which kept him out for two matches.

Carlos Tevez’s excellent first-half strike proved enough to give Manchester United a winning start to 2008.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s men were rarely at their best against a determined Birmingham outfit but the visitors never really looked like finding their way through a defence that has conceded just twice on home soil all season.

The beauty of Tevez’s 10th goal of the campaign, a neat finish after Cristiano Ronaldo had returned the Argentine’s overhead kick with a impish back-heel, was at odds with the fractured nature of the contest.

But, as Tevez also hit the post on two occasions, United were worthy of a 10th successive home win, even if the matchwinner’s dummy-sucking celebrations raised an eyebrow or two.

And, the sight of the already-substituted former West Ham man needing to be carried to the dressing room by two members of United’s backroom staff after the final whistle was not what Ferguson would have wanted. (more…)