• Premier League

Sir Alex confident of Rooney focus

ESPN staff
October 14, 2011
Wayne Rooney was sent off for his kick at Miodrag Dzudovic © Getty Images
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Sir Alex Ferguson is confident Wayne Rooney will not be distracted by his England suspension when Manchester United face rivals Liverpool on Saturday.

Rooney is facing up to the prospect of missing Euro 2012, after being handed a three-game by UEFA which rules him out of the group stages.

Ferguson was in no mood to discuss the ban and its effects on England on the eve of such a huge game for his club, but expects the striker to channel any frustration into his performance.

"I am here to talk about the Liverpool game," Ferguson said when asked about Rooney's England ban.

"We are going to be preparing as we normally do and everyone is involved in that," Ferguson said. "So it is a massive game and an important game and all the players are looking forward to it.

"They are emotive matches, two great histories, and it can be nothing else but a great game - an intense match anyway. Sometimes they have been great games, sometimes disappointing, but they are always interesting."

Nemanja Vidic is pushing for a recall, but Ferguson would have no worries about starting with the Serbian's understudy, Jonny Evans.

"He (Vidic) came in yesterday and felt okay, but the Liverpool game is such an intense, stamina-draining game and you want everyone to be 100%. So it is down to how he feels himself, but having said that Jonny Evans has been fantastic so I don't have any concerns who I play."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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