Treble talk won't distract us, says Evra
Patrice Evra insists Manchester United are not preoccupied by the prospect of the Treble as they prepare to face Fulham in the Premier League at Old Trafford.
- Agence France-Presse
- Updated: April 08, 2011 10:15 AM IST
Patrice Evra insists Manchester United are not preoccupied by the prospect of the Treble as they prepare to face Fulham in the Premier League at Old Trafford.
They face Mark Hughes' side looking to move 10 points clear of Arsenal, who will have a game in hand even after they travel to Blackpool on Sunday.
Following that match, they will host Chelsea for their Champions League quarter-final second leg, with a 1-0 advantage from the Stamford Bridge game.
And after that they head to London to come up against neighbours City in an FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.
In the build-up to the Chelsea match, Ferguson admitted that he feels his team have a realistic chance of emulating the side of 1999, which won the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup.
They have the chance to move another big step closer this week but Evra insists United are not getting ahead of themselves.
"We haven't spoken a lot about the treble, just about winning games and trying to give 100 per cent," Evra said.
"We're very happy (beating Chelsea). It was our first win at Stamford Bridge since 2002. It was important that we got the win and did the job.
"But for me, the job is not done. It's still 50/50. I have a lot of respect for Chelsea.
"Manchester United and Chelsea are the biggest clubs in the Premier League, always in the race for the title, so that's why this is not finished.
"If we do manage to win the treble then I'll be very happy. But what is important for us is to win every game because every game for us now is a final."
Striker Wayne Rooney commences a two-match ban for swearing into a television camera during last weekend's 4-2 win at West Ham after his appeal was rejected on Thursday.
Ferguson was boosted by the return of Rio Ferdinand at Chelsea following a calf problem but it remains to be seen whether the former captain will be risked ahead of the second leg.
Anderson is not expected to return from a knee problem and Ferguson has a doubt over the Brazilian defender Rafael, who picked up a knee injury at Stamford Bridge.
United will be hoping to maintain their impressive run of 14 wins and a draw from their 15 home games in the Premier League.
Edwin van der Saar has played down concerns that he suffered a recurrence of his groin problem at Chelsea and the veteran goalkeeper insists United will be fully-concentrating on Fulham rather than worrying about the Champions League.
"We are not thinking about Real Madrid or Barcelona," he said.
"We have a game against Fulham on Saturday, then we have Chelsea again. That is all we are looking at just now."
Fulham defender Aaron Hughes will recover from a head knock but experienced winger Damien Duff is struggling with an Achilles problem.
Hughes admits that Rooney's absence is a significant boost to Fulham's chances of picking up a result at Old Trafford.
"Having watched his performance against Chelsea I'm obviously pleased because he was outstanding. If he's not available then it's a positive from our point of view," Hughes said.
"He is a world-class player but having said that there are a lot of quality players that can come in his place and cause problems.
"You're up against the best and if you come on top it's a real feather in your cap. I've been able to do it on a couple of occasions. Anything you glean from those games is a real bonus. We're looking to be positive but don't know what personnel he (Ferguson) will choose.
"With the high-profile games they have we cannot say what Manchester United they will be facing. I'm sure he can mix and match and use his resources like he has in the past."