Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson excited by return of ‘fantastic’ Antonio Valencia

Luis Antonio Valencia(Getty Images)

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Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has hailed the impact that Ecuadorian winger Antonio Valencia has had on his side since returning to the first team in their Champions League quarter-final against Marseilles.

The winger had been out since September after suffering a horrific leg break in the Champions League against Rangers.

He had an immediate impact to the team assisting United’s second goal of their 2-1 win and Ferguson believes the wide man’s guile will pivotal come the end of the season.

“Antonio has showed in the parts of the games he’s played so far why we’ve missed him,” Ferguson told Inside United.

“He is a fantastic footballer. He came on at the right time against Marseille because Nani was starting to wilt a bit after his injury.

“His ability to get to the dead ball line is a big advantage to us and his football brain was there for all to see when he made Javier Hernandez’s second goal against Marseille. His pass to Ryan Giggs was fantastic.

It had been feared that Valencia would be out for the season along with Nani who suffered an injury at the hands of Jamie Carragher’s shocking tackle against Liverpool but both have returned to boost the team as they search for another treble.

He added: “It is a big plus point. Having both Antonio and Nani is a big boost for us.”