Manchester United v Liverpool: Sir Alex Ferguson never doubted Robin van Persie would shine at Old Trafford You have to pay the price that the club are sticking out for, whether it is one year on his contract, two or three. We wanted him badly, so we were prepared to go the extra mile. Any player coming to us for the first year, you never know for sure. Who would have thought Wayne Rooney would have got a hat-trick on his debut? It is fairytale stuff. But what we did know was that we were signing a very good player. After his supreme goal at West Ham last Saturday, Van Persie will return to United's starting line-up against Liverpool. Wayne Rooney will not be involved, though, despite reports that the former Everton man is desperate to play after his recent knee injury. "He is not far away," said Ferguson. I don't think it is an issue of guiding him along in terms of the injury he had. It is quite straightforward. If he starts training today, we should have him available for Wednesday's (FA Cup) replay against West Ham. There is some good news on the injury front though, with Nani and Anderson both back in training after their respective hamstring problems meaning the pair are in contention for Sunday's game. "It is Liverpool," said Ferguson. A derby game. That never changes. It is always an immensely important game. It is intense and emotional. Everything you can think of in a derby game will probably be there on Sunday.