Manchester
United manager, Jose Mourinho says the club chiefs are “very positive” that
former manager, Alex Ferguson will recover from the brain haemorrhage that has
left him in intensive care.
Ferguson, who won 38 trophies
during an unrivalled 26-year reign at Old Trafford, needed emergency surgery
last weekend after a fall at his home near Manchester.
It is understood that the surgery
went well, with reports suggesting the Scot has been able to talk to family and
friends, although there has been no official update on his condition.
United boss Mourinho declined to
answer when asked on Wednesday if he had been to visit Ferguson, saying he
wanted to respect the family’s wish for privacy.
However, he did say everyone at the
club was optimistic that the United great would recover.
“We are confident,” said Mourinho.
“The club is positive, very positive.”
Ferguson has received messages of
support from around the world over the past few days, and Mourinho said that
can only lift United as they prepare for Thursday’s Premier League trip to West
Ham.
“I can only think that if there is
any relation (to the club’s mood), it is a positive relation,” he said.
Mourinho said midfielder Michael
Carrick will captain the side when he plays his final match against Watford on
Sunday.
Carrick, signed by Ferguson from
Tottenham in 2006, is retiring at the end of the season to join Mourinho’s
coaching staff.
“He will start the last match, at
Old Trafford,” said Mourinho. “For the last match of the Premier League season,
as our captain in front of our fans, he will start the match against Watford.”
Mourinho said Carrick’s qualities
were rare not only in football but also in wider society.
“The most important quality is to
be a man, M-A-N, capitals, a proper man,” he said. “Football is not full of
them — and not just football, society is not full of them, so when you find one
of them you have to value them and you have to keep them.
“The club had him for a great many
years playing football and now when his body says ‘enough’, the club and myself
will want to keep the man.
“Of course, he has qualities that
we believe can make him a good coach and there are many ways to do the bridge
between player and coaching staff.”
Top-scorer Romelu Lukaku will miss
the final two league matches of the season with the ankle injury he suffered
against Arsenal on April 29 but could make the FA Cup final against Chelsea a
week on Saturday.
Mourinho hopes midfielder Marouane
Fellaini, who has a muscle injury, will be available for the Watford match but
he will be absent at West Ham.
Alexis Sanchez, though, has
recovered from a groin strain and Phil Jones has recovered from recent injury
problems.
AFP
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