Image Text:

IN THE LINE OF FIRE: Patrice Evra

DEFENDER PATRICE Evra has been backed to deal with tomorrow's FA Cup visit to Anfield by former Manchester United defender Viv Anderson.

The FA Cup fourth-round clash will be the first time that the huge rivals have faced each other since Liverpool’s Luis Suarez was found guilty of racially abusing Evra.

The incident, which occurred during the league match at Anfield earlier this season, saw Suarez get an eight-game ban from an FA commission and he will therefore play no part on Saturday.

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has been known to remove players from games with highly charged atmospheres; Wayne Rooney was left out of the squad to travel to his former club Everton last season, and there were rumours that he would do the same with Evra, who has captained the side since Nemanja Vidic was ruled out for the season.

Anderson, the first black footballer to play in a full international for England, added that he was confident that the left-back could ride the anticipated storm.

“Patrice should definitely play, 100 per cent. There will be a backlash, but he did nothing wrong, so why should he not play? He is experienced enough and old enough to deal with it. If you cannot deal with it then you are never going to make a career for yourself.

''He has proved he is able to stand up to all the outside pressures that have been heaped on him as he's built his career. It is not right you have to put up with racial abuse, but I am sure it has happened to him in the past.

''There will always be something else around the corner, and if you keep worrying about something then you will fold and disappear.''