Soccer:Alex Ferguson has defused any potential conflict with Republic of Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni over the latest piece of career guidance dispensed by the Italian to Manchester United midfielder Darron Gibson.

For the second time in six months, Trapattoni has implored Gibson to look elsewhere for first team football as he struggles to make an impact at Old Trafford. So far this season, Gibson has made just 12 appearances in all competitions, and started only three Premier League games.

The Italian has said similar things before, which prompted Gibson to claim he would prefer to make a limited contribution at United than play more games at a lesser club.

Not one normally to encourage other managers to speak about his players, Ferguson might have been expected to respond to Trapattoni’s latest musings. However, ahead of tomorrow’s Premier League encounter with Manchester City, when Gibson may struggle even to make the bench, Ferguson has stayed out of the argument.

“I don’t know in what context he said it,” said Ferguson. “The media today can exaggerate anything now. It may have been a simple message for Darron. Who knows?

“I only picked up the headline of it yesterday and didn’t really bother about the content. I know Trapattoni. He is a sensible, experienced man. I don’t really give much credence to it. I don’t think he would say it to cause mischief.”