Anderson, dumped in the reserve squad, would have played against Manchester City Thursday night had a frozen pitch not put paid to the game. The Brazilian, caught returning home without permission recently, has reportedly sought an exit from the club while United turned down loan January moves to Lyon and Paris Saint Germain.
Midfielder Anderson, 21, has suffered a severe dip in form in recent weeks and fell out with manager Sir Alex Ferguson after the Brazilian’s poor display against Manchester City in the first leg of the Carling Cup final. He is unlikely to make United’s squad for the weekend match against Portsmouth.
So humiliating has the midfielder’s fall from grace been that even the club’s mouthpiece ManUtd.com featured his selection for the reserve squad fixture yesterday. Anderson would have played alongside Gabriel Obertan, Mame Biram Diouf, Fabio da Silva and Ben Foster in the Moss Lane fixture.
With Darron Gibson’s emergence this season and Tom Cleverley due to return from Watford in the summer, many predict that Anderson has just four months to save his United career and a potential spot in the Brazil 2010 World Cup squad.
There is hope for Anderson though, with Nani’s excellent recent form proving that players can come in from the cold. If the attitude is right.