Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is ready to hand Anderson a shock start for this weekend's clash with Arsenal. The Times says Ferguson will consider giving Anderson a starting role in the eagerly awaited tussle with Arsenal on Saturday evening, but the player's long-term future at Manchester United is in doubt after a row with his manager on the training ground.

Ferguson and Anderson were involved in an angry disagreement after the Brazil midfield player was told that he would not start the Community Shield match against Chelsea on August 9, having shown a casual approach in training.

The matter was kept in-house for a fortnight, but witnesses have now reluctantly confirmed that Anderson, having expressed fury at his omission in front of his team-mates, threatened to find a new club and that Ferguson, appalled by the player's attitude, said that he was prepared to sell him.

One source said that the matter is "over" and that Anderson is in Ferguson's plans to start the game against Arsenal, but another suggested that the lingering tension between manager and player raises doubts about the 21-year-old's long-term future at United.