Jones progress delights Ferguson

Sir Alex Ferguson has backed up Fabio Capello's claim that Phil Jones reminds him of legendary Italian Franco Baresi. The Manchester United manager snapped Jones up from Blackburn in the summer for £17m. It seemed a lot to pay for a 19-year-old but if anything, Jones' performances since suggest United got a bargain. Capello is among those who have been impressed. Having handed Jones his international debut in the right-back role in Montenegro last month, the England coach shoved him into midfield for the recent encounters with Spain and Sweden. Although Jones did not look entirely comfortable in the first of those games, where he occupied an advanced position, in the holding role against Sweden, he was superb. It prompted Capello to liken the Preston-born youngster to Baresi, which Ferguson does not feel is that far wide of the mark. "Since he has joined us, his improvement has been really eye-catching," said the United boss. "We know he is 19. We know it is a big step up coming from Blackburn to Manchester United. But the boy has been absolutely fantastic. He can play anywhere, I am sure of that. He is versatile. He is two-footed. He is quick. He has good perception of the game. I am not surprised what Fabio is saying. He can be a really influential player for us and England over the next few years." The question for Ferguson is whether, after such a hectic period, he should pick Jones again when United make their first trip to Swansea in almost 30 years tomorrow. Even with Tom Cleverley ruled out until Christmas after suffering a recurrence of the ankle ligament strain he originally picked up at Everton last month, Ferguson feels United have sufficient central midfield options. Darren Fletcher, Anderson and the returning Michael Carrick are all available, whilst Ryan Giggs and Park Ji-sung are capable of operating in that area of the pitch in addition to Wayne Rooney, who helped out in a couple of games prior to the international break. Certainly, Ferguson does not view it as an area of concern like some United fans. "I have options. I am not over-worried about it," he said. The United boss was also full of praise for record signing Dimitar Berbatov, who is certain to receive a one-year contract extension, which the club can activate at any point before his present deal expires in the summer. "Dimitar is still in my thoughts," said Ferguson. "I have read some things but there is absolutely no reason for me to let him go. "He is an outstanding footballer and we will give the extra year. It is unfortunate the form of Javier Hernandez over the last year has been outstanding but he plays a great role and he trains well. The boy is a great professional. You need a good number of strikers in the modern day. If you look back to 1999, we had four great strikers. They all played their part and we are happy to have him here." Berbatov's involvement may once again be limited to the substitutes' bench though, especially as Ashley Young is available again after a toe injury to offer Ferguson the chance to attack Swansea from both flanks. Not that he thinks the task is going to be easy. Despite heading into their first Premier League campaign widely tipped to go straight back into the Championship, Brendan Rodgers' men have excelled, claiming a draw at Liverpool on their last outing in addition to being responsible for the only goal they have conceded at the Liberty Stadium, a Danny Graham own goal against Bolton. "Everyone has been taken by Swansea and the way they have played," said Ferguson. "They have kept their philosophy of playing good football and had 67% possession at Liverpool, which is very good at a place like Anfield. We know we have a tough game tomorrow but with the internationals over, now we have an opportunity to get some consistency over the next three months. By 1 January we hope we are in the right position in the league. That is when I look in my diary and check that we are in good order."