Ferguson defends Berbatov

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson insists Dimitar Berbatov has not been unfairly treated at the club, praising the "fantastic talent" of the striker whom he expects to be involved in their pre-season tour.

The Bulgaria international has been linked with a move away from Old Trafford for several months having fallen down the pecking order last season. There were murmurings of discontent from the 31-year-old, who scored nine times in just 21 appearances in the previous campaign - despite being the league's joint top scorer the year before.

But Ferguson has defended his handling of Berbatov, and he told MUTV: "I don't think I treated Dimitar unfairly but he can feel disappointed that he didn't get more football. He's a fantastic footballer. It wasn't a great season for him last season, partly because I settled more with Wayne Rooney and Danny Welbeck...and Chicharito (Javier Hernandez)."

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