Ferguson considers resting Rooney

Carling Cup final: Aston Villa v Manchester United
Venue: Wembley Stadium Date: Sunday, 28 February Kick-off: 1500 GMT
Coverage: Live on BBC One, BBC HD, BBC Sport website, BBC Radio 5 live, BBC local radio & Sky Sports 1 from 1400 GMT

Ferguson and O'Neill go head-to-head for the season's first major trophy

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is considering resting in-form striker Wayne Rooney for Sunday's Carling Cup final against Aston Villa.

Rooney has scored 11 goals in his last eight games but Ferguson is weighing up whether the 24-year-old needs a rest.

Ferguson said: "It has to be a consideration. The problem is he is desperate to play. He always is."

United face AC Milan in the Champions League in two weeks and are vying for the Premier League crown with Chelsea.

Ferguson faces a selection headache as his side contest the season's first major trophy against Aston Villa, who are looking to end 14 years without any silverware.

Having opted for fringe players in earlier rounds, the Scot brought in the big guns to help dispose of neighbours Manchester City in the semi-final.

Rooney desperate to play in Carling Cup final

And he now has to decide on whether to continue with his top striker as United look to win the competition for a fourth time.

After a double in recent matches with AC Milan and West Ham, Rooney's overall goal tally for the season stands at 27, just 15 short of Cristiano Ronaldo's haul in the 2008 Champions League-winning campaign.

United's season run-in involves a maximum of 17 games and Ferguson joked: "Maybe it is Wayne's chance to play right-back because he keeps telling everyone he is a great defender, centre-half or sweeper."

The England striker, however, may disagree with Ferguson's sentiment, and told BBC's Football Focus: "It's a game everybody wants to play in. You can win that first trophy and it gives you something to build on.

"I hope to start. It's what you play football for. I don't want to be left out."

606: DEBATE The first cup final of the season! I can't wait to watch this one. Both teams will be thinking they can win it whackitfootball

Ferguson may include rising stars midfielder Darron Gibson, centre-half Jonny Evans and young Brazilian defender Rafael in the starting XI.

He said: "I'm thinking about the younger ones to give them a smell of it.

"But we want to win the cup having got there and got through the semis which were very emotional. We have got this opportunity of winning something.

"They only way you can enjoy Wembley is winning. It's not a nice day when you lose."

The goalkeeper spot is another hotly-contested position with Ben Foster, United's hero in last year's penalty shootout victory against Tottenham, and Pole Tomasz Kuszczak hoping to replace regular Edwin van der Sar.

It will be Villa's first trip in 10 years to the London stadium since their 1-0 defeat by Chelsea in the FA Cup final and they are now eyeing their first major prize since lifting the League Cup trophy in 1996 when they beat Leeds 3-0.

Confident O'Neill expects open Cup final

Villa boss Martin O'Neill, touted by some as the ideal candidate to replace Ferguson when he finally retires, is in buoyant mood.

England's Gabriel Agbonlahor, Ashley Young and James Milner have all impressed in recent weeks.

And O'Neill said: "We have some players in brilliant form who can cause them problems.

"Our confidence comes from being the only team to win at Old Trafford in the league this season. We played exceptionally well that day. But Sunday's game will be open."

O'Neill should have skipper Stiliyan Petrov back after overcoming a virus, while keeper Brad Friedel, defender James Collins and striker Emile Heskey are all pushing for a start after being rested in the FA Cup fifth-round replay win over Crystal Palace.

The former Northern Ireland midfielder, who previously managed Wycombe, Leicester and Celtic, joined Villa four years ago and believes silverware could help kick-start a golden era for the club.

"Winning a trophy is the ultimate. There is no getting away from that and it would be fantastic," O'Neill said.

"We have a lot of pictures of the old teams around the training ground. It is something to aspire to.

Ferguson praises League Cup rival O'Neill

"I have often said to keep the pictures up on the walls of the 1981 league-winning side and 1982 European Cup-winning side. The early 1980s was a fantastic spell for Villa.

"The history of the club is there to see, a great tradition, so we'd like to try and do something about it."

Villa's captain Petrov is hoping a Wembley victory can help eradicate the bad memories of losing the 2003 Uefa Cup final to Porto in Seville when he played under O'Neill at Celtic.

"This is the biggest day of my club career," the Bulgarian midfielder said.

"We are heading for a massive game for this club, for the players, for the fans and I hope at the end of it we can all be happy.

"But we don't just want to be passengers there, just to go and enjoy it, without winning it.

"We will put up a massive fight and we will do our best to win it."

medications for depression | buy kamagra uk | cialis super active+