The former England international retired at the end of last season, but came back into the squad after somewhat of an injury crisis earlier this year and he was on the score sheet during the win over Queens Park Rangers at the weekend.

He has since got praise from many people, including his team-mate Michael Carrick. The United midfielder has described the 36-year-old as ‘amazing’ for the impact he has made on his return to the team.

The former Tottenham man said: “He has been a massive impact. We all know how good he is and what he brings to the team on and off the pitch and around the training ground.”

“His performances, to come straight into the team and play like he did was amazing, really, and he’s just carried it on. He’s got a lot of games left in him.”

Manchester United midfielder Rio Ferdinand has praised him too, saying: “A lot’s been said about him coming back, whether it has been good or bad for us.”

“But you can see in the results we’ve had since he’s been back, the influence he’s had. He’s a fantastic player. Not only on the games you see out here but in training and around the training ground. He’s an example for all the young players at the club.”
As for Anderson, the last we heard about him was that he was out for five weeks and could return for mid-April. If he does, he has his work cut out to get Scholes out of the team!

“It was a long night. We had to persevere and in the end we got our rewards for it.

“The goals came so late, which typifies the history of the club.”

After earning a shock victory over Ferguson’s side at Old Trafford on New Year’s Eve, a reformed Blackburn side again tested their visitors in the first half, despite having to settle for the minority of the possession.

Only a terrific double save from David de Gea kept out first Marcus Olsson and then Grant Hanley’s header just before half time, atoning for the errors that cost United the game in the reverse fixture.

Ferguson was full of praise for the Spanish keeper, saying: “De Gea’s progress is obvious. Everyone can see that.

“He kept us in the game and he’s growing in stature and confidence. We’ve always known he had great ability.”

United are now strong favourites to win their fifth title in six years and are now arguably faced with a kinder run-in than their local rivals.

They play Mark Hughes’ Queens Park Rangers on Sunday afternoon, before travelling to Wigan and then welcoming Aston Villa and Everton to Old Trafford before playing Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on 30th April.

They then round off their campaign with a home match against Swansea City before a trip to Sunderland on the last day of the season.

City by contrast face difficult encounters away at Arsenal, Newcastle and Norwich, as well as a home game against Roy Hodgson’s West Bromwich Albion who nearly beat City in the reverse fixture back in December.

But despite the now considerable advantage, Ferguson insists he is taking nothing for granted:

“There are seven games left and my experience is that it doesn’t matter what points you have, it’s just about the next game.

“It doesn’t matter if it is next Sunday, next Wednesday, the Sunday after that – they are all big ones.

“The players are prepared for that. We will fight right to the end in all the games for the right to win the matches.”

However, after undergoing tests in the past few weeks, United have now decided the best possible course of action is to send him to see a specialist in a bid to get him back as soon as possible. Those following the football odds will know he will be a big miss for the side.

The 23-year-old will now go to Portugal to assess the damage and he may even require an operation to aid his recovery, although that could end up delaying his return to action even further.

Boss Sir Alex Ferguson remains a big fan of Anderson and described the setback as a “blow” when revealing the news in his weekly press conference ahead of the home clash with Newcastle.

It is fair to say Anderson took time to settle at Old Trafford following his big-money move from Porto in 2007 but, up until his injury, he was enjoying his best spell in a United shirt.

The Brazil international was a regular in the first few months of the season and also chipped in with two vital goals in the wins over Spurs and Norwich as he was finally beginning to justify the £27million Ferguson splashed out on the player over four years ago.

United will now wait to see how his assessment will go in Portugal before they set a date for his return but Ferguson did say he does not expect to have him back until February. Anyone looking at the Premier League betting will be wondering what sort of impact his absence will have on the side.

As a result, Anderson will miss the final Champions League group game against Basel – a match the Red Devils need to avoid defeat in to qualify – and also some big Premier League clashes as the champions look to close the gap on rivals Man City at the top.

While the Toffees, who are thirteenth in the Premier League with three wins from eight, are unlikely to offer the same resistance as City Sir Alex cannot afford to take any chances with his already bruised team. Those following the football betting will know what a massive shock the result was.

Brazilian Anderson is one of the most likely candidates for the axe, after his position was overrun with blue shirts on Sunday. The youngster will be replaced by fit-again, Tom Cleverley, or Michael Carrick.

Captain, Nemanja Vidic, will make a welcome return at the back, the replacement for the suspended Jonny Evans.

United’s assistant manager, Mike Phelan, believes that United’s recent loss will be a test of character for the club players . “For some of them it is the first real big hit they have taken”, Phelan, who was present for United-City in 1989, when the Blues won 5-1, explained.

The next few matches on United’s schedules could, therefore, prove critical for Fergie’s youngest. “Can they take [the defeat] on board?” Phelan asked. “Can they learn from the game?” The lack of experience in the Red Devils’ midfield, in particular, could become a gaping hole for United, if they cannot.

Anderson was answering questions submitted by fans on United’s message boards. The 23-year-old was quizzed on his hairstyle “nobody touches my hair”, his tattoos, and his penchant for elaborate goal celebrations. Those looking at the football betting prices will know his career seems to be taking off this season.

However, his response to a question about his career at Old Trafford has drawn the most scrutiny from the media.

“I want to stay [in Manchester] for many years, and afterwards, when I go back to Brazil, I hope I can look back and know I was a big part of making history here.”

However, in an age of escape clauses and paper-thin contracts, it remains to be seen whether Anderson will stick around.

During the 2000s, Anderson racked up appearances for three clubs in as many years. He began his career at Brazilian outfit, Gremio, in 2004, before moving to Portuguese giants, Porto, two years later. The player signed for Manchester United in 2007 for an alleged £20m. He has claimed four goals in 80 appearances for Alex Ferguson’s side and the Premier League betting prices suggest he should claim some more silverware this term.

Continuing with the answers to fans’ questions; forum user, ‘Lofotmannen’, asked Anderson about his habits on the pitch, most notably, his tendency to stand in the opposition goalie’s line-of-sight, when United are preparing to take a free-kick. The midfielder claims that he tries to make goalkeepers laugh, in the hope of distracting their attention from the set-piece. “It’s worked a few times”, Anderson said.

Young Tom Cleverley has worked his way into the manager’s plans, after impressing on loan at Wigan last season, but injury has struck him at a bad time.

A rash challenge from Bolton’s Kevin Davies has led to the England Under-21 star being ruled out for a month, by which time he will have a battle on his hands to get his place back, if United’s current form continues. Anyone following the football betting will know just how good they have been.

Anderson is arguably the most improved player at Old Trafford in the last couple of seasons, with the Brazilian now showing the potential the manager always felt he had.

The former Porto man has been a different player and the change seemed to coincide with his recovery from a serious car accident in August 2010.

Anderson has the power to be a box-to-box midfielder and has also found the knack of chipping in with goals – bagging in the recent 3-0 success over Tottenham. The Brazilian will cover more ground than Cleverley, but the Englishman’s passing and composure on the ball can often be telling and those looking at the football odds should remember this.

With Anderson 23 and Cleverley just 22, the pair look set to battle it out for some time and it’s not a bad dilemma for the manager to have!

The news could be seen as an admission of defeat by Ferguson. Dutch player, Wesley Sneijder, who had been strongly-linked with the Reds for much of July, has proven a difficult catch for the Scotsman. Falling back on United’s admittedly stellar cast of youngsters could be Fergie’s way of sending a clear message to Sneijder – ‘we didn’t need you, anyway’.

However, United’s youngsters have a lot to learn before they can hope to be painted with the same brush as Giggs’ Class of 92.

‘Fergie’s Fledglings’, as the squad were otherwise known, were one of the better sides to stalk the pitch at Old Trafford, consisting of players that went on to dominate the game, namely, David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt, the Neville brothers, and Ryan Giggs. Those who follow the Champions League football betting will know these players formed the spine of a side that took on all comers.

The side secured the Double (League and FA Cup) for United, in 1996, and then the Treble (League, FA Cup, and Champions League), in 1999.

Whether United’s new breed of starlets can ascend to the same heights as Beckham and Giggs is debatable, but Anderson Oliveira, better known as simply, Anderson, believes that he already has the potential to excel at Old Trafford. “I am still young. If I am physically well, and if I want to, I can be a great player.”

However, some United fans, while admitting that Anderson is talented, have been staunch critics of the 23-year-old’s consistency on the ball. Fans of Betfair Carling Cup betting will be keeping a close eye on him to see if he can make this his breakthrough season.

Tom Cleverley, who has been a United player since he was 12-years-old, has drawn the praise of Alex Ferguson, for his performances on the pitch. “We know all about Cleverley”, the Scotsman said. “He looks fantastic.” Cleverley was selected for the England team by Fabio Capello, following on from the youngster’s appearance in the Charity Shield event, at the beginning of August.

Fergie’s latest flock of fledglings may take some time to develop into world-class players, but there is no denying that the ‘Class of 2011′ has sufficient promise to help United stand up to the increasingly difficult challenge posed by Chelsea and Manchester City, at the top of the Premier League.

The previous campaign saw Anderson make 30 appearances for his club – and added to the score sheet on 4 separate occasions. This was something of a surprise given that many pundits were predicting he would be as big a failure as fellow Brazilian Kleberson. At first it looked like the past had repeated itself, but Manchester United have given him the time he needed to flower and flourish to become the star player that he was touted to be. But the question remains – is the future looking bright for this star? The answer on this occasion would have to be yes. If Anderson gets the right players around him he could become an unstoppable force for Manchester United, and an ideal replacement for recently retired Englishman Paul Scholes. Anyone following the Champions League betting will know United’s midfield will be key if they are to recapture the trophy.

One man who could prove key to Anderson’s future is the Portuguese international Nani. He also took a while to warm to the Premier League but once he did he showed doubting fans his abundant use of skill, and his goal scoring ability. His playing style is similar to that of Cristiano Ronaldo and if he can form an effective midfield partnership with Anderson then both players will reap huge benefits. Given how vital he is to the side, you shouldn’t expect him to see him playing many Betfair Carling Cup games.

Both players started United’s opening Premier League fixture and although the side’s performance as a whole was disappointing, Nani and Anderson showed glimpses of forming a good understanding, something that will be crucial for the Red Devils this season.

Yet Anderson seems to be being groomed to be a Scholes-lite holding player, having performed that role at Wembley during the Community Shield (an ironic title for the match given what has followed in the communities of Manchester in the ensuing week).

Anderson is also going to be around at Manchester United for a while, with a contract that keeps him at Old Trafford until 2015.

In an interview with the Independent at the end of last season, he said how he was looking forward to having a crack at regular first team football. His first uninterrupted pre-season has left him in good shape for the new campaign.

He’s revelled in the challenge, playing in all their pre-season matches, scoring in two, including Paul Scholes’ final match for the club.

The qualities that Anderson has to replace Scholes are his composure, power in his shots, and a sublime left foot.

It’s not as though Anderson isn’t trusted by Sir Alex either, this is, after all, a player who has played in Champions League finals already, which is pretty good going for a 23 year-old whose made 73 appearances for United across four seasons.

Having previously been limited by the form (Darren Fletcher) and class (Giggs and Scholes) of others barring his way to more regular first team football, Anderson has had to bide his time, yet if he can stay free from injury he anticipates his performances this season to prove that.

He recently said: “I have the qualities to be player of the season” and he might yet supplant that surprise a few people with the impact he can have in Manchester United Away in the coming months.

Things are not likely to get any easier in the 2011/2012 season either, but if Anderson pushes himself to the maximum in pre-season and impresses Sir Alex Ferguson, there is, a gap in United’s midfield.

Paul Scholes retirement means that Anderson moves up the pecking order in terms of central midfielders at Old Trafford. As things stand, he is competing with Michael Carrick and Ryan Giggs for one of the two positions.

Ashley Young has been brought in from Aston Villa and will wear Scholes’ famous No.18 shirt, but he is more comfortable on wide or in a hole behind a main striker. Therefore, he doesn’t affect Anderson’s chances of a place in the side.

There is of course a chance that Ferguson will bring in another central midfielder before the start of the season (Wesley Sneijder has been linked a lot this week), but Anderson can’t think about this.

He needs to make sure that he puts in the performances in pre-season to show that he can be called upon by Ferguson for the start of the Premier League season. Then, when he has grabbed hold of the New Man Utd Away shirt, he needs to hold onto it.

There is no doubt that Anderson has the talent to be the main man for the Red Devils. It is just bound to be hard work for him to confirm his place in the side amongst a squad and a club with such talent.

Anderson is in America with the rest of the United squad at the moment and will get his first chance to impress this summer against New England Revolution later this evening.