Sir Alex Ferguson has offered support to beleaguered striker Dimitar Berbatov after he was overlooked yet again for United’s 1-1 draw with Portuguese giants Benfica on Wednesday night.

With United due to play rivals Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon, Ferguson decided to rest some of his key players and made a raft of changes, eight in total, for the trip to Benfica but there was no place for the Bulgarian hitman.

He is yet to make a single start this season and has only come on a substitute in two games this season, one of which was the Community Shield against cross town rivals Manchester City.

Despite being joint-top scorer last season in the Premier League, Berbatov has found himself on the periphery of the United first-team since February which signaled the meteoric rise to fame of Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez.

Ferguson said,

“It is hard because of the number of strikers we have, Michael Owen is there, Federico Macheda, Mame Biram Diouf. Danny Welbeck won’t be back next week but probably the week after. It is not easy.

“Dimitar has been training terrific. His attitude is spot on. He will get his game time as the season wears on. There is no question about that.”

And with the likes of Danny Welbeck and Federico Macheda showing signs of blooding into the first-team, the future looks ominously bleak for Dimitar Berbatov.