Sir Alex Ferguson Set To Rotate Manchester United Squad

The Red Devils' boss feels some of his players need a rest after the recent hectic schedule.

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has stated his intentions to rotate his squad, responding to claims that he could play the same team that beat Porto on Wednesday night.

The Red Devils' boss described those who believed that he could play the same team as "off their heads."

The first-team squad is set to have a completely different look for Sunday's FA Cup semi-final game against Everton, with Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, Michael Carrick and Ryan Giggs set to miss out, with Edwin van der Sar and Dimitar Berbatov set to join them.

The United boss certainly made his intentions clear when speaking to The Daily Express.

"When I pick my team, no matter what it is there will be critics voicing a concern about me not playing my strongest team," said Ferguson.

"Not everyone agrees with changes. There are some supporters who want me to play my best team every game. That is impossible. If you look at Wednesday's game you are off your head to think I could play the same team again."

The 67-year-old also said that football has become tougher, meaning players need more rest in between games.

"I am in a difficult position because we have got so many hard games coming up," continued Ferguson. "Somewhere along the line I have to make changes.

"The speed of the game has changed.

"Look at how fast the Premier Division is. The intensity of the matches is the reason English teams have a head start in Europe."

Despite this recent news, Ferguson said he still sees the FA Cup as a massive trophy to win.

"Hand on heart, the FA Cup is important.We don't want to have a defeat at this time of year. No matter what the defeat is, we have to answer for that."

The Red Devils are still on course for an unprecedented quintuple, but face some stiff challenges in all competitions, and with their form the worst it has been all season, it will be up to the players to prove themselves capable of accomplishing that magnificent record.