Man United: Giggs - Injuries won't get us down

Man United: Giggs - Injuries won't get us down

Thursday October 25, 2007
MANCHESTER (AFP) - Ryan Giggs believes Manchester United's Champions League victory against Dynamo Kiev proves they can cope with the injury problems that threaten to derail their season.

Sir Alex Ferguson's side romped to a 4-2 win in the Ukraine on Tuesday despite being without Paul Scholes, Patrice Evra, Gary Neville, Owen Hargreaves, Michael Carrick and Louis Saha.

The Premier League champions lost Scholes to an injury in training before the match, while Evra was ruled after suffering an injury in the pre-match warm-up.

With so many senior players on the sidelines it would have been easy for Ferguson's team to feel sorry for themselves against Dynamo.

But instead they responded with their third consecutive four-goal haul, leaving Giggs to praise Ferguson for his decision to spend big money strengthening the squad in pre-season.

"The manager has chopped and changed this season already, whether that be due to injuries, or suspensions or whatever and we have coped with it, just as we coped with what happened in Kiev," Giggs said.

"It just proves the value of having a good squad. I think a few players are due to come back shortly and once that happens, we will start to look strong again."

Carlos Tevez, Anderson and Nani, Ferguson's three main signings this season, all played a part in the victory and Giggs has been impressed with how quickly they have settled at Old Trafford.

"It is important for the players who have come in to bed in as quickly as they can," he said.

"All the signings have bedded in and played some good stuff and overall it is looking really good."

After a succession of scrappy performances, United are hitting their stride. They have won 11 of their last 11 matches and Giggs insists his team-mates have finally found their cutting edge.

"To score four goals away from home against any team in Europe is fantastic," he said.

"The main thing is we are starting to put our opportunities away now, while retaining that defensive steel at the back.

"Over the last few years, our away form in Europe has not been the best but we are on a real run now and we want to carry it on in every competition."