• Premier League

Fergie bemoans FA 'leaks'

ESPN staff
February 8, 2013
Sir Alex Ferguson has had many rows with the FA over the course of his time at United © Getty Images
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Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has said he is unhappy that news about the fitness of his English players is being revealed while they are on international duty.

Phil Jones withdrew from the England Under-21 squad ahead of Tuesday's friendly against Sweden, with manager Stuart Pearce claiming that the defender was suffering from shingles.

However, Ferguson said in his press conference ahead of Sunday's Premier League clash at home to Everton that Jones was fit and available, and the United manager was clearly not pleased with Pearce.

"What about doctor confidentiality?" he said. "We are disappointed with that."

News about the fitness of United players has emerged from the England camp before. Earlier this season, manager Roy Hodgson said Ashley Young had been left out of a squad because of a knee injury before United had made any official comment on the matter.

And Ferguson said the Football Association should take more responsibility for how such information was handled. "It is something we have to address," he said. "The FA is a big organisation - things can leak from a lot of different places. "But that was a conversation between our doctor and theirs, and shouldn't have gone any further."

Young is available for United this weekend after missing almost four weeks with a different knee injury, while midfielder Michael Carrick is also set to return after the hip injury that ruled him out of England's midweek friendly win over Brazil.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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