Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted that he faces a delicate balancing act this weekend to prepare for two matches in the space of 48 hours.
A trip to Sunderland in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon is quickly followed by an FA Cup quarter-final replay against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Easter Monday.
Ferguson has admitted that the quick turnaround coupled with players returning from international duty will force him to make wholesale changes between the two starting XIs.
He told The Mirror: "Freshness is the name of the game now as we come towards the end of the season and the intensity of vital games coming in quick succession.
"My role becomes even more important in selecting the right teams, with freshness the operative quality. It's not necessarily putting out your best team, it's picking the freshest. This will be a real problem when the players come back at the end of the international break after playing two games involving long flights, particularly with Javier Hernandez and Shinji Kagawa.
"In fact, we're making arrangements for some players to fly home by privately hired jet after their matches, to make sure they get home as quickly and smoothly as possible. Tiredness is a great leveller but we will do our utmost to make sure we field the freshest possible teams. Private planes are going to cost the club an awful lot of money, but it is something we feel we have to do."
United are chasing a domestic double and have a commanding 15-point lead in the Premier League.
Liam Power
