Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson was happy to hand Carlos Tevez a rare start in last night's 2-0 victory over West Ham.

"Carlos worked really hard in the first-half but I felt in the second I felt he was feeling the effects of playing his first game for so long," said the United boss, who has revealed he had a heart-to-heart with the former West Ham star.

"He has not started as many games as he would like. But he remains just as important to us as the guys who have been hogging the headlines of late.

"I sat down with him only last week to stress that our faith in him remains absolute, that he remains a top player in the eyes of myself, the players and our supporters.

"But three players will not fit into two positions and my job is to balance the team."