SOCCER:NANI FEELS let down by Manchester United over their failure to complain publicly about the tackle by Liverpool's Jamie Carragher that forced him off the field at Anfield with a badly gashed leg.

Nani was withdrawn at half-time of Sunday’s defeat and, although United were privately furious at Carragher’s challenge, which they felt merited a red rather than a yellow card, they have not commented on the incident because of a media black-out imposed by Alex Ferguson.

United’s manager refused to speak to any media outlets after the game, including the club’s television station, and instructed his coaching staff and players to remain silent.

Sources close to Nani said the winger believes the club should have shown support for him publicly. United chief executive David Gill was sufficiently incensed by Carragher’s tackle to voice his complaints to the referees’ chief, Mike Riley, at half-time in the directors’ box.

Carragher tried to apologise to Nani after the game but it is understood the Portuguese was unwilling to engage with the defender, who was denied access by United’s players to their dressingroom. He waited outside intending to say sorry but Nani is understood to have walked by.

Nani does not expect his injury to sideline him for long. “I would like to thank supporters for their good wishes and I hope to be back really soon,” he said.

The BBC, embroiled in a stand-off with Ferguson, will contact the Premier League to register its disappointment that United refused to speak to any broadcasters or the press at Anfield. But the broadcaster will stop short of the official complaint the Premier League said was required to trigger action against the club for refusing to make a player or a member of coaching staff available to its contracted domestic rights holders.

As other media outlets, including BSkyB and TalkSport, indicated they were unlikely to complain, the episode will highlight the gulf between the tough league rules brought in to protect rights holders and the practical considerations in enforcing them.

“The BBC is disappointed Manchester United did not put forward a spokesperson following on from the Liverpool match. We will speaking to the Premier League about this,” said the BBC.

The club imposed a media black-out after last week’s FA charge against Ferguson over comments made about the referee following his team’s defeat at Stamford Bridge last week, which resulted in their pre-match press conference being cancelled.