O'Shea - Rotation the key

Busy Christmas in prospect for the Premier League champions

By Rob Carragher   Last updated: 5th December 2008

O'Shea - Rotation the key

O'Shea: Happy to do a job

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Manchester United utility man John O'Shea has admitted that the club face a tough task to compete on four fronts over the coming month.

In between domestic ties with Sunderland and Tottenham, United will play host to UEFA Champions League opposition Aalborg before jetting off to the Far East to compete in the Club World Cup just before Christmas.

Their hectic schedule will then resume with league fixtures against Stoke and Middlesbrough and a trip to Southampton for the FA Cup third round - a series of games in which O'Shea feels player rotation may well prove pivotal.

"It is going to be a busy period and the whole squad will be needed," he said.

"It is a tricky situation for the manager because he wants to keep the freshness in the team, particularly when the games are so vital.

"We have got the trip to Japan as well but it is something we have known about for a while and we just have to deal with it."

Be all and end all

The Irishman could make his 307th appearance for the club against Sunderland, a feat which is even more impressive for a man commonly viewed as a fringe player in United's star-studded squad.

But it is credit to O'Shea's versatility that he has racked up so many games for the Old Trafford outfit and the 27-year-old remains adamant that he is happy to play anywhere on the pitch just so long as he is playing.

"Being in the team is the be all and end all," he added.

"It doesn't matter where you play, you just have to make sure you do your job.

"I just want to play as many games as I can, keep doing well and help the team win trophies."