Norwich City vs Manchester United preview - Bassong not worried by Wayne

Posted Saturday, December 28, 2013 by PA

Norwich captain Sebastien Bassong will not lose any sleep at the prospect of coming up against rejuvenated Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney on Saturday as the Canaries look to get their own Barclays Premier League campaign back on track.

Chris Hughton's squad held a debrief at their training base on Friday afternoon following the disappointing Boxing Day home defeat by Fulham as attentions quickly turned to how to tackle the defending champions.

Manchester United have now won five matches in a row to move back up the table after they came from 2-0 down to beat Hull at the KC Stadium, where Rooney cracked in a superb 30-yard strike to help complete the comeback for David Moyes' men.

However, after having already been given the runaround by the likes of Liverpool striker Luis Suarez and Manchester City's Sergio Aguero, centre-back Bassong knows it is up to him to adapt his own game to whatever the calibre of the opposition's attack.

"It is the same as playing against someone else, no different," said the Cameroon international.

"Yes, he (Rooney) is a star player, we all know that, but we have been playing against loads of really good players, so maybe I will watch him a bit more, but that is it."

Bassong continued: "There are loads of top quality strikers in the Premier League, so I am not going to just focus on one every game.

"I know I am going to play against them, so I have to adapt myself.

"I am going to be playing against a good striker every week, so if I want to show I am a good player, then I have to cope every week.

"Wayne Rooney is a terrific player, England's star (man), but in Manchester United there are other terrific players too, so I cannot only focus on him.

"But I like it, that is what I am playing football for, otherwise it would have been boring."

Hughton will have to make at least one enforced change for the visit of United, who were beaten 1-0 at Carrow Road last season, with centre-half Michael Turner suspended after collecting a fifth yellow card against Fulham.

Meanwhile, David Moyes believes his Manchester United side are starting to show their true character after a never-say-die performance at Hull kept the Red Devils' winning run going.

Moyes endured a tough start to life at Old Trafford and was beginning to feel the heat when back-to-back losses against Newcastle and Everton saw the Barclays Premier League champions slip well off the title pace.

But things have picked up throughout December and United have now won five on the trot in all competitions, including Boxing Day's 3-2 success at the KC Stadium.

Hull did their best to derail the streak, going two up inside just 13 minutes as James Chester and David Meyler took advantage of some lethargic defending.

But United hit back, inspired by an all-action display from Wayne Rooney, who set up Chris Smalling's goal, equalised with a stunning volley that brought up his 150th Premier League goal for the club and pressured Chester into the own goal that sealed the result.

To collect three points from such a difficult start required the kind of self-belief and determination Moyes prides himself on and he goes into Saturday's clash at Norwich confident the club are finally finding their identity.

"I never doubted us," he said.

"I think that tells you what Manchester United have got and hopefully it tells you a bit about David Moyes as well.

"Hopefully my teams have always been committed to trying to win games of football.

"After being 2-0 down, to get back to 2-2 was terrific but I actually felt a bit disappointed not be winning 3-2 by half-time because we had a few chances to do something more."

Moyes still has some loose ends to tie up from the trip to East Yorkshire and must find a new right-back against Norwich.

Rafael sustained a groin injury in the first half against Hull and is unlikely to be fit after just a day's rest, while Antonio Valencia, who dropped back from midfield to cover the position, is suspended after being sent off in injury time.

The likeliest solution involves switching Smalling from centre-half and bringing Nemanja Vidic back into the starting XI, but Moyes is not worrying about the reshuffle.