Ferguson expects Rooney to carry Man United attack

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) Alex Ferguson expects Wayne Rooney to shoulder much of the responsibility for Manchester United's front line this year following the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid and Carlos Tevez to Manchester City.

The Premier League champion's manager believes Rooney will play a pivotal role despite signing Michael Owen from Newcastle, Antonio Valencia from Wigan and Gabriel Obertan from Bordeaux to bolster its attacking options.

"The expectation on Rooney is always high," Ferguson told a news conference in Malaysia. "It is a natural situation as it is the standard which he has set for himself."

The Red Devils unexpectedly boosted their attacking options further Friday by agreeing to sign Senegalese striker Mame Biram Diouf from Norwegian club Molde - despite Ferguson saying at the start of the week that his business in the transfer window was over.

Terms have been agreed and Diouf will have a medical in Manchester next week, although United wants him to stay at Molde on loan before joining the squad in January.

Ferguson said he had been keeping on eye on Diouf for two years.

"We weren't intending on signing anyone else after last week - we feel we have a full squad," Ferguson said. "But the situation accelerated to a point where other clubs started to make bids, so we had to decide whether we acted or didn't act. We decided to act and he'll be the last person we sign."

United begins its preseason Asian tour on Saturday with a friendly against a Malaysian XI in Kuala Lumpur. A second planned stop in Indonesia was scrapped after Friday's deadly bomb attacks at two Jakarta luxury hotels, including the Ritz-Carlton where the team had been scheduled to stay.

Ferguson brushed off suggestions that United will lack bite for the new season because of Ronaldo's absence, saying the presence of other forwards such as Dimitar Berbatov and promising youngster Federico Macheda will compensate for the loss.

"We have a squad ... with outstanding football and it is how we use them which is important," Ferguson said.

He was also confident that a few injured players will be back in action by September.

"(Nemanja) Vidic is nursing an ankle injury and it will take him some time although the situation with Owen (Hargreaves) is showing positive signs," Ferguson said.