Rio Ferdinand's career fears add tension to Manchester United run-in

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In recent days Rio Ferdinand has tapped out tweets on the Manchester United youth team, the death of the rapper Nate Dogg, Chicharito's goals and the amount of booze likely to be consumed on St Patrick's Day. Cumulatively, he sounds less like a major international star than a spectator, describing rather than participating in the pageant that brought him fame.

最近，里奥在他的几歪网上的话题是关于曼联青年队，说唱歌手多哥的死讯，芝加里多的进球以及圣帕翠克节日中有可能出现的限量售酒政策。总之，他说话已经越来越像是一位观察家而不是当红国际巨星，他是在描述而不是在参与这项使他成名的运动。http://blog.sina.com.cn/footballall

He sounds, in other words, like a reporter, observing and recording the comings and goings of others. From this haunting tone the reader is tempted to feel with greater certainty that Ferdinand's 351-game career at United is approaching its end. The implications for England are equally stark: one fewer potential captain for Fabio Capello to get himself in a twist about, and a situation vacant alongside John Terry.

他的发言，换句话说，像个报道者，观察记录其他人的来来去去。从他那种困扰的语气中，读者不难感觉得出他在曼联的351场比赛的足球生涯已经接近尾声了。同样，他的英格兰生涯也是十分严峻的：火星人对于队长一职已经越来越不迷惑，而里奥也越来越少机会能够站在特里的身旁了。

In halcyon times, Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic and Edwin van der Sar formed a Bermuda triangle for opposing strikers, much as Peter Schmeichel, Steve Bruce and Gary Pallister had in earlier days. With Van der Sar retiring and Ferdinand, who is 33 in November, unlikely to play again this season, the obituaries will start to roll for one of United's great defensive alliances.

在好的时候，里奥，维迪齐和撒的队型对于对方前锋来说就好象是一个百幕大三角一样，与早年的斯切梅切尔，布路斯以及帕里斯特十分相似。而现在撒退役了，里奥在11月将满33周岁并且本赛季已经无法比赛了，今后告示牌上曼联最伟大的后卫联盟将开始向前滚动了。

Michael Owen used to say Ferdinand would give a striker a head start in a chase just to increase the pleasure of claiming the ball at the end of the race. No slouch himself, Owen compared it to a Rolls-Royce gliding by in the outside lane. Such grandeur is rarely seen these days, which makes a mockery of the idea that Ferdinand should have prior claim on the England captain's armband.

欧文曾经说过，里奥在同前锋争夺的时候喜欢先让对方半步，这样可以增加到最后抢到球的快乐。并不是说他懒惰，欧文把他比做是在外道缓缓行驶的劳斯莱斯。这种壮观的景象在今日已经很少见了，于是有人讽刺地认为里奥应该在宣布英格兰队长之前就自己对于队长一职做个陈述。

By August when the new campaign begins Vidic could be the last man standing from the iron trio who posted a club record of clean sheets in the 2008‑09 campaign. Ferdinand is not about to slope away. The deal he signed in May 2008 takes him through to 2013 but there are serious doubts about his ability to go on contributing.

到8月新赛季开始的时候，维迪齐将有可能成为2008-09赛季曼联保持俱乐部记录不丢球场数那时侯的铁三角的最后一人还站在球场上。里奥不会退休。在2008年5月签的合同会将他留在2013年，但是以后他的去留便是未知。

When a manager feels a player can no longer be relied on to be fit and available he starts to think beyond his injured star, if only subconsciously. United began to prepare for life without their classiest defender the day they spent £10m on Chris Smalling. Tall, lean, athletic and cool under pressure, Smalling could be a Ferdinand clone, though the England coaching staff have noticed he is far more assured when lining up alongside Vidic than he is when playing with a less illustrious accomplice.

当主教练认为一名球员再无法恢复健康也无法首发，他将不会再考虑这名伤星，就算是下意识的。当曼联花了1千万英镑在小个子身上的时候，曼联就已经在为没有他们的经典后卫的日子的到来做准备。高，有肌肉，运动能力好，在压力之下能够保持冷静，小个子也许会成为里奥的克隆，并且英格兰的教练组觉得他在同维迪齐一起的时候比他在缺少这名杰出的共犯的时候表现更加优秀。

The bad news about Ferdinand's persistent calf injury has shaken United's quest for a record 19th league title. Compared to Bryan Robson's throat cancer it barely registers on the scale of human difficulties. In its own sphere, though, it signifies an emergency for Sir Alex Ferguson's squad.

John O'Shea is out for five weeks and Rafael da Silva for three. Both have hamstring problems. Vidic will miss the Bolton game on Saturday but should be back for the following game at West Ham. Gary Neville has retired, which leaves five available defenders: Fábio da Silva, Smalling, Patrice Evra, Jonny Evans (who has not played since 5 February) and Wes Brown, who has looked a liability.

关于里奥伤势的不好的消息将极大地动摇曼联夺取第19座联赛奖杯的可能性。比较起来，他的伤势比起罗兵森的喉癌来说在人体方面没有过大的妨碍。但是就个体事件来说，弗格的球队将遭遇很大的危机。奥谢将养伤5周，拉非饵将养伤3周。他们都是脚踝有伤。维迪齐将错过星期六对伯尔顿的比赛，也许在紧接着的对西汉穆的比赛能够复出。内卫尔退休了，这样曼联可用的后卫将只有5个：法比奥，小个子，艾弗拉，易万斯（但他自2月5日以后就再未出场过），以及布朗，但是布朗的表现并不尽人意。

"We're having a bad spell," Ferguson admitted, the day after his five-match touchline ban. "Only a few weeks ago we had every defender fit and looking great. I'm sure Vida will be back after the international break, but Rio hasn't started training yet and we'll be lucky to maybe get him back for part of the season. Sometimes calf injuries can be troublesome.

“我们现在正处在一个很不好的时期，”弗格在接到他的5场比赛禁赛的通知后说，“就在几周前我们的所有后卫都还身体良好而且状态也很好。我认定维达在国际比赛日之后就能回归了，但是里奥还没能参加训练，如果我们足够幸运，也许在这个赛季剩下的一些比赛中他还能上场。但是肌肉受伤有时候会很麻烦。”

"I'll hopefully have Jonny Evans fit for Saturday, although it's a bit of a risk as he's been out for so long. He's trained all week though. We've also got the bonus of Wes being able to play right-back and centre-back, and Chris Smalling coming to the club. He's been brilliant."

“我希望易万斯在星期六将恢复健康，虽然还是有点风险，因为他有那么久都没有比赛了。但是他整个星期都参加了训练。我们还认为维斯可以客串右边卫或者中后卫，而且小个子也来到了俱乐部。他很优秀。”

United led the race by defending more efficiently than their rivals and Arsenal were hampered by instability in the goalkeeping and centre‑back positions. Ferguson's injury plague will equalise these challenges and raise the tension level on the run-in.

曼联在争夺冠军的比赛中比他们的对手更好是因为他们的防守更加有效，而阿森纳在门将以及中后卫的位置上有明显的短处。但是弗格面对队内的伤病流行将使得冠军争夺战更加势均力敌以及助长了对手的竞技水平。

Buried in the injury updates was confirmation that Owen Hargreaves has "trained all week".

但是曾经的哈格里夫斯也不断地被曼联的伤病更新版上声明是“整周都在参加训练”。