Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed what Sunderland boss Steve Bruce has known all along, and that is season long loanee Danny Welbeck must return to Old Trafford. The Black Cats chief has made no secret that he would like to make Welbeck's switch permanent, although he has conceded there is little chance of succeeding in this aim.
And Ferguson told The People: "He's doing brilliantly and he comes back to us at the end of his loan.
"The boy is a fantastic talent but the problem for Danny was that he wasn't getting enough football.
"You had to go back to our youth games, two-and-a-half years ago, for the last time he played more than four games in a row. He also had problems in growing, in terms of his strength.
"He missed a lot of football because of that. I said that to him last season when I sent him to Preston on loan.
"Then he got injured and had to have a knee operation. That could have been down to a lack of strength in his thigh and knee area.
"But the strength is starting to come now. His physique is settled now and he's starting to put on muscle.
"He's a big, big lad - 6ft 2ins or 6ft 3ins. He played well against Chelsea and Everton."
