Giggs happy with return of players

Ryan Giggs believes the return of three of the club's star players will be like having a trio of new signings on board. Well, that is scant consolation, really, since Manchester United has had little luck in the transfer market so far and Ruud van Nistelrooy's imminent departure has created a gaping hole upfront for them.

It is true that the trio, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Paul Scholes and Gabriel Heinze are all great and proven players and their return from the long injuries will help to strengthen the team but with no influx of young talents, they will find it tough going if they were to compete on all fronts for domestic and European titles. The task is even more daunting when core playes like Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Gary Neville and Solskjaer are all on the wrong side of thirty and could not possibly play in every match.

Solskjaer, who has endured an injury-plagued past two years, scored twice during the 4-0 thrashing of Orlando Pirates at the weekend. The injury had threatened to end the 33-year-old's career but after his glorious return, Giggs expects big things from the striker in the coming season. "It's just what he needed. He wants to score and that's what he has done," the Welshman added. "I hope this season he'll be a major part of the team."

Meanwhile, the transfer saga of their major target, Fernando Torres who is thought to be the man to fill van Nistelrooy's shoes, is far from settled. Although the Spanish World Cup star has a £41million buyout clause in his contract with Atletico Madrid, United officials are confident they can land the 22-year-old for far less. The exact funds Ferguson has available are not likely to be established until an agreement is reached with Real Madrid over a fee for Van Nistelrooy.

The problem is Torres himself has not indicated a desire to come to Old Trafford, instead he continues to insist that he will not be going anywhere. As for Cristiano Ronaldo, his future plan is as yet unknown even though recent events suggest that he is likely to stay. Soccer Pundit feels that his loyalty to Manchester United is still questionable even if he stays.

Furthermore, will he be able to turn in the the kind of sterling performances exhibited at the World Cup with his unwelcome status in England? If yes, Manchester United can heave a sigh of relief even if no major talent arrives but if not, Alex Ferguson could be facing another managerial crisis, probably his last...