Ronaldo to take break
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is believed to be allowing Cristiano Ronaldo to take a long overdue break.
The Portugal winger spent last Christmas back in Madeira as Ferguson showed concern that his teen starlet was displaying signs of fatigue.
After a hectic summer that saw Ronaldo emerge on the world stage in Euro 2004 and then represent his country in the Olympics, he has been an integral part of United´s attacking tactics for much of the season.
The former Sporting Lisbon youngster even made the trip to Fenerbahce to figure in a shadow side that flopped 3-0 in Turkey, during United´s final game of the UEFA Champions League group stages.
It is expected that Ronaldo will miss Saturday´s home Prem Plus clash with Crystal Palace and possibly the festive fixtures too.
After being openly harangued by Gary Neville when missing a sitter against Southampton, Alan Smith was noticeably furious with his team-mate for failing to spot a simple pass at Fulham and instead fired in a speculative shot that was blocked.
Meanwhile, Ferguson is hoping Chelsea´s lack of experience in the title race will allow his stuttering side another chance to close the gap at the top of the table.
Jose Mourinho´s charges are nine points clear of The Red Devils after United missed a glorious chance to make ground at Fulham.
" All this is new to Chelsea," said Ferguson. " They have got a strong squad but they have got to have a blip at some time and you just hope that lasts a long time.
" You don´t know how teams react in these situations.
" There were a lot of positives to take from what was a great performance at Fulham. It´s not as if our form isn´t good. We have been excellent in recent weeks and were good again at Craven Cottage."
United are reportedly planning a New Year trip to South Africa, despite their hectic fixture schedule.