Edwin happy to sit out semi

Edwin van der Sar will be fully supportive of manager Sir Alex Ferguson if, as expected, the veteran Dutchman is left out of Manchester United’s side to face Derby tonight.

Van der Sar’s only previous appearances in the Carling Cup for the Old Trafford outfit came at the same semi-final stage three years ago, when victory over Blackburn set United up for a final win against Wigan.

It represented the goalkeeper’s first medal for the Red Devils, since when he has gone on to collect two Premier League trophies, a Champions League crown and a Club World Cup win.

And those experiences make Van der Sar quite relaxed about his watching brief at Pride Park, even though he might only have 18 months left in the game.

“It won’t be hard to watch,” he said. “You like to pack as much in as you can and it is nice to play semi–finals and finals but the manager has a good eye on the whole situation.

“It is not like a 100m sprint. It is a long season and you have to focus on the priorities. You can’t play in every single game, no player could. That is why you get a rest and miss matches.”

Ferguson will not want to take any risks with players certain to figure against Chelsea on Sunday, although Paul Scholes might still be included along with Carlos Tevez.