Debutants earn praise

United’s three debutants against Tottenham Hotspur – Fabio, Richard Eckersley and Zoran Tosic – have drawn praise for their impressive Old Trafford bows.

Injuries may be testing the full depth of Sir Alex Ferguson’s squad, but the situation is also offering chances to young players, with United fans introduced to more new faces in the 2-1 FA Cup fourth victory over Tottenham Hotspur.

“They did really well,” Paul Scholes told MUTV. “Fabio did really well and it’s unfortunate that he picked up an injury. But then Eckersley came on and did really well. He’s been out for three months with a knee injury, so to come straight into a first-team game is really good, and Zoran came on towards the end, dug in and defended for us really well.”

Fabio, whose twin brother Rafael has already made 18 appearances in the first-team, really caught the eye with a confident performance at left-back before eventually being forced off with a calf strain. "The da Silva brothers have got great temperament to play,” said Sir Alex. “They’ve got a winning mentality. Like Rafael, Fabio loves playing and loves training, the enthusiasm is always there."

Reds goalkeeper Ben Foster was in the perfect position to judge Fabio’s first outing for the Reds. “Confidence is something that those twins definitely aren’t lacking!” he said. “Since they arrived they have been absolutely fantastic. Fabio has been a bit unlucky with injuries, but he’s definitely one for the future.”

Resource: manutd.com