The Manchester United first XI could be about to return with two signings

Sir Alex Ferguson's final season in management was replete with not just one more Premier League title but one more banning of a journalist.

It was actually two journalists. Mark Ogden and Paul Hetherington were deemed personas non grata for having the temerity to report that Rio Ferdinand would miss Manchester United's first game of the season at Everton.

A defensive injury crisis forced Ferguson to relocate Michael Carrick to centre back alongside Nemanja Vidic on his first appearance in eight months. United lost to a Marouane Fellaini header from a corner at Goodison Park.

Ferdinand's absence emerged over the weekend and the game was on a Monday night. Ferguson was furious that sensitive team news information had leaked and, during his final post-match chat with Sky Sports, likened United to a "sieve".

It was peculiar that Ferguson, in his seventies and into his 27th year managing United, operated as though journalists were on the club payroll. As recently as December, there was dismay among some of the United online fanbase that this correspondent had obtained the starting XI for the Manchester derby at the Etihad the day before kick-off.

On that occasion, the United manager and staff were nonplussed as team news leaks have gone on for years at the club. Jose Mourinho marvelled at journalists' sourcing but was appalled that someone privy to such information was loose-lipped.

David Moyes vainly attempted to counter team news leaks when he correctly identified the leaker - a senior member of the first team squad. Louis van Gaal's goalkeeping coach, Frans Hoek, followed specific journalists on Twitter after they reported on acrimony in the squad. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Erik ten Hag were blasé about early team news