Dimitar Berbatov will be handed the chance against Schalke on Wednesday to prove to Sir Alex Ferguson that he can be trusted to deliver in big matches.<\/p>\n
Berbatov, 30, is set to make his first start since the FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City at Wembley on April 16, in which he squandered two glorious chances as United went down 1-0.<\/p>\n
The \u00a330million forward has fallen down the United pecking order, behind Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez, who have emerged as \u00adFerguson\u2019s first-choice strike partnership.<\/p>\n
But with Rooney and \u00adHernandez both set to be rested ahead of Sunday\u2019s Premier League title decider against Chelsea, Berbatov will be afforded a rare start.<\/p>\n
The striker is out of contract at the end of next season, and United have yet to invoke a one-way clause in his deal that would allow them to extend his agreement by a further 12 months.<\/p>\n
With United in the market for a new forward this summer – Napoli\u2019s Edison Cavani is understood to be one of Fergie\u2019s targets – time is running out for Berbatov to prove he deserves a contract extension.<\/p>\n
Despite scoring 21 goals this season to head the Premier League\u2019s scoring charts, Berbatov has not scored in Europe since netting twice in a 3-0 win over Celtic at Old Trafford in October 2008.<\/p>\n
Although Ferguson has backed his man in public, just three starts from United\u2019s last 14 games for the Bulgarian hitman shows the extent of his fall from grace after such an impressive start to the campaign.<\/p>\n
Cashing in on Berbatov this summer would make economic sense for United, who may be able to recoup as much as half of the \u00a330m fee they paid Tottenham to secure his services back in September 2008.<\/p>\n
Berbatov was on the bench for both legs of the Champions League quarter-final triumph over Chelsea, and has \u00adessentially become United\u2019s forgotten man, coming on for the final 15 minutes of their 1-0 defeat at Arsenal last Sunday.<\/p>\n
MANCHESTER UNITED v SCHALKE: PROBABLE TEAMS<\/p>\n
Manchester United (4-4-2) Kuszczak; O’Shea, Smalling, Vidic, Evra; Fletcher, Scholes, Gibson, Nani; Berbatov, Owen<\/p>\n
Schalke (4-4-2): Neuer; Uchida, Howedes, Metzelder, Sarpel; Farfan, Kluge, Matip, Jurado; Raul, Edu<\/p>\n
Referee: Pedro Proenca (Portugal)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Read more here:
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