ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE:GABRIEL OBERTAN is hoping he has done enough to stay in the Manchester United squad for Saturday's Premier League clash with Wolves.

Although even the most focused United player cannot help but notice the eagerly-awaited first Manchester derby of the campaign is looming at Eastlands in seven days’ time, Obertan cannot afford to let himself get sidetracked.

Having scored his first United goal in Tuesday night’s 3-0 win over Bursaspor and with Nani ruled out of the impending meeting with Mick McCarthy’s men after suffering a groin injury in the first-half, Obertan’s chance to make an impact at Old Trafford has finally arrived.

“It is going to be difficult to keep my place but I am going to work hard and make sure I have no regrets if I don’t make the squad at the weekend,” said the 21-year-old. “But I am working towards making it and I hope the coach picks me.”

Ferguson may end up with little option given the huge number of injuries he is carrying at the moment, even if Nani should not be sidelined for the same length of time as Antonio Valencia, who is out until next year with a double break of his ankle.

At least in Obertan and Bebe, he has two wide-men in scoring form following their contribution in Turkey, even if the former Bordeaux flyer is not that eager to discuss it.

“I am very proud,” he said. “It was a quality performance, especially with so many players missing. The most important thing was to win but it is nice to get the goal to go alongside it.”

Ferguson must now manage his remaining players carefully, knowing victory over Wolves is essential, whilst at the same time being the least arduous test of a week that follows up that trip to City with a journey to Aston Villa.

A fifth clean sheet in eight matches provides reason for optimism after early season woes, with Ferguson acknowledging the return of Rio Ferdinand, who was excused Tuesday’s encounter after a punishing recent schedule, has had a major impact.

“We needed to cut out giving away those silly goals that were costing us points,” said Ferguson. “Gradually, we have managed to eradicate it. There are many reasons but the return of Rio Ferdinand has made a difference. He has such experience alongside Nemanja Vidic. It has given us a more stable situation and we don’t look as fragile now.”

Meanwhile, The British government yesterday urged the Premier League to introduce rules on leveraged buyouts, with the culture secretary, Jeremy Hunt, saying that Manchester United’s debt “worries me a lot”.

In his first intervention on the subject since the coalition came to power, Hunt said he is alarmed by spiralling debts and concerned that lessons learned during the financial crisis had not hit home with some clubs.

“The lessons the rest of the country have to learn about the over-dependence on debt seemed not to have been learned by some of the people who are running our Premiership football sides.”

The issue of club ownership and football governance became a hot topic before the election, in the wake of fan protests at Manchester United at the €875 million debt loaded on to the club by the owning Glazer family and at Liverpool, where the former owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett had funded loan interest payments from the club’s cashflow.

Hunt welcomed recent steps made by the Premier League to tighten its fit and proper persons test and require more transparency and financial information but said they should go further.

“My hope is they bring in rules that make sure we only have sensible amounts of leverage when people buy football clubs because we all know what happens when debt gets out of control,”

Hunt said. “The football authorities have taken some steps. There is a lot more transparency. They have strengthened the fit and proper person’s test. They are moving in the right direction but it is obviously something that is a concern to a lot of people.

“The reason it is a concern is because clubs do not just have a responsibility to their owners, they have a responsibility to their fans as well. They are part of their local communities.”

The Premier League said its new rules on ownership obliged prospective buyers to prove their plans for clubs were financially sustainable.

“The secretary of state is right when he says that debt is an important function of the economy as long as it is proportionate and sustainable; our regulatory framework is designed to ensure this is the case for our member clubs. If this ceases to be so we are able to intervene.”