Manchester United’s unbeaten EPL record may have disappeared at bottom club Wolves two weekends ago. But Wayne Rooney’s wonder strike in last weekend’s Manchester derby put them right back on track for this year’s title.

United will be without the services of influential but injured South Korean international midfielder Park Ji-Sung for the early part of the run-in and for their return to Champions League action next week.

And the club has spent much of the last week fending off re-emerging rumours of a takeover by Qatari Holdings, the so-called “investment arm” of the Middle Eastern emirate’s royal family. Qatari Holdings have also denied the story.

 

United are now four points clear of Arsenal, who are now possibly their only realistic challengers after City were beaten by Rooney’s spectacular overhead volley.

Manager Sir Alex Ferguson called it the best goal he has ever seen. But he still warned Rooney and fellow striker Dimitar Berbatov, the EPL’s current top scorer, that they needed to be just as good away from home as at Old Trafford.

He said: “With the quality those two have, we should be dictating games away from home. When they do that it will make a hell of a difference.”

Park Ji-Sung injured a hamstring in training last week, one of his first sessions since returning from January’s Asia Cup tournament. Ferguson commented: “He’ll be out for up to a month, which is a blow to us.”

Striker Michael Owen damaged a groin in training this week and United are awaiting the results of a scan to determine for how long the 31-year-old will be out.

United have tersely denied that the club will be under new ownership when the injured players get back to full fitness.

For the third time in five months, a number of UK newspapers ran “world exclusive” stories claiming that Qatar Holdings were “haggling over details” after a £1.6bn offer had been accepted by owners the Glazer family.

United said in response that there had been “no approach to buy Manchester United and no approach would be welcome.” And Qatar Holdings said this week that it was “not and had never been in discussions to buy Manchester United football club. There is no truth in the rumours.”

United host the FA Cup fifth round’s most one-sided looking tie on this coming Saturday evening, when big-spending non-league outfit Crawley Town visit Old Trafford.