Ferguson unlikely to strengthen squad

As usual, the Red Devils have been linked with a host of star names ahead of the transfer window opening.

"I think the squad is good enough," Ferguson told Manchester United's official magazine 'Inside United'. We don't always get great joy in January, I have to say."

Ferguson has not tended to do that much business in the New Year sales, although he did sign Patrice Evra and Nemanja Vidic in 2006 before springing a major surprise by announcing the arrival of Henrik Larsson on a short-term contract 12 months ago.

He added: "It takes time for players to settle in when they are midway through the season - look at what happened with Evra and Vidic when they arrived - so we are conscious of that. I think the squad is good enough."

Having already declared his belief the current United squad is stronger than at any previous stage of his 21-year reign, Ferguson appears willing to let his current players shoulder the burden of a trophy quest on three fronts.

The Scot knows Paul Scholes, Park Ji-sung, Ben Foster and Mikael Silvestre will all return from major injuries at various points over the next few months, deepening his reserves of strength still further.

"Maybe we are short of cover in the left-back area now Gabriel Heinze has left but other than that, we are okay," he said.