Gabriel Heinze, Manchester United’s costly yet elusive off-season signing, is running the serious risk of causing irreparable damage to his relationship with Sir Alex Ferguson after the latest breakdown in contact between the Argentinian international and his increasingly irritated manager.
Since learning Heinze was taken to hospital after Argentina’s 4-0 defeat of Costa Rica in the Olympics on Sunday, Ferguson revealed he had been desperately trying to get hold of the £6,9-million signing, only to discover the defender has not left his cellphone number with anyone at the club.
Subsequent attempts to contact him via his agent and the Argentinian football authorities have also failed and an exasperated Ferguson was still in the dark about the seriousness of Heinze’s injury until he switched on his television on Tuesday to see him back in the Argentina team. Although initially relieved, Ferguson is livid that Heinze has not contacted his new employers.
‘We understand he got an injury but nobody from Argentina has even been in touch,†said Ferguson, making little attempt to conceal his irritation. ‘We read that it’s a hip injury and that he was taken to hospital, so it was obviously a concern. But we haven’t been able to get hold of him.â€
Kleberson, another South American who has made an inauspicious start to life at Old Trafford, made his first appearance of the season against Dinamo Bucharest in the Champions League qualifier on Wednesday night and Darren Fletcher also returned to the United midfield. United won 3-0 on the night to complete a 5-1 aggregate victory.
Ferguson’s trump card in the pursuit of Wayne Rooney might well be the prospect of Champions League football. They went into Thursday’s draw alongside Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool but, perhaps crucially in the bartering process for Rooney, no Newcastle.
Whether Ferguson will be able to guarantee Rooney first-team football is another matter entirely. By scoring twice in the space of three second-half minutes Alan Smith has now accumulated four goals in five appearances for his new employers. —