[qbdp]

Fergie bemoans Rossi plight

Giuseppe Rossi will return to Manchester United in January, with Sir Alex Ferguson unhappy with the number of games the striker has played at Newcastle United.

Ferguson loaned the youngster to The Magpies in the expectation he would accrue valuable Premiership experience.

But Rossi has started just two league games, and appeared as a substitute four times, much to Ferguson's frustration.

With United short of attacking options at present, Ferguson suggested Rossi would have been better served staying at Old Trafford.

"Giuseppe will come back to us because he is just not getting enough football at Newcastle," said Ferguson.

"The understanding we had with them was that he would play more games.

"Every manager is subject to their own opinions on players, so I don't want to say too much about that.

"But we could have done with him here, so he might as well come back to us."

Ferguson has already agreed a deal to bring Henrik Larsson to the club in the New Year, but is still mulling over another bid for Bayern Munich midfielder Owen Hargreaves.

He added: "I don't know what the situation is.

"I have read some things about his injury, but you never usually get the full story that way.

"Besides, I don't want to upset those poor Germans. They are very fragile."