HAT WILL DO NICELY!

Red Devils skipper bags silky treble to see off Sociedad

- DAVID MCDONNELL

JIM RATCLIFFE may view some of Manchester United's players as overpaid and overrated, but when it comes to Bruno Fernandes he is simply irreplaceable.

United's captain, as he has done on so many occasions this season, came to his side's rescue last night to haul them into the Europa League quarter-finals and keep their campaign alive.

Fernandes scored twice from the penalty spot and claimed his hat-trick late on, as United came from an early goal down to book a quarter-final clash with Lyon and maintain their hopes of Champions League football next term.

Booking a place at European football's top table next season will be worth around €120 million to United, vital revenue for a club Ratcliffe claimed could have gone bust by Christmas.

Without Fernandes and his indefatigable contribution in every game, it does not bear thinking about how much more trouble crisis-hit United would find themselves in.