Boss: Ronaldo's return is a boost

Sir Alex Ferguson says Cristiano Ronaldo could make a big difference to United's attack when he returns from a three-match suspension this weekend.

The Portuguese winger hasn’t played for the Reds since being shown a red card against Portsmouth on 15 August.

Despite beating Tottenham Hotspur and Sunderland in the meantime, United have not looked as threatening in front of goal as they did at the start of last season, most likely due to the absence of Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney.

Both could play against Everton on Saturday, and Ronaldo is being tipped by Sir Alex to inject impetus into the team’s forward play.

“Without question, Cristiano’s return is a big plus for us,” said the boss.

“You miss players that make a difference, create opportunities, score goals and change the pattern of games.

“With Ronaldo back that gives us some better attacking options than we have had in the last three games.”

Sir Alex says that Ronaldo may have to deal with the kind of provocation that led to his sending off against Portsmouth, which the United boss still feels was unjust, but is confident the winger has the temperament and attitude to cope.

“That’s a possibility [that players could try to provoke him],” he added.

“I think that some players might try to do that. But that’s up to Ronaldo to control himself, to know what a good player he is. He knows that he’s only helping them by reacting to it. Also, you look for a strong referee that can sense the mood of the game.”