LOUIS Saha and Darren Fletcher were the surprise members of the Manchester United party that travelled to Italy for Wednesday's Champion League quarter-final first leg against Roma.
The duo, who have been missing for five weeks with hamstring and ankle injuries respectively, were expected to play for the reserves at Blackburn on Thursday. Instead, Sir Alex Ferguson called them into a 19-man party as the Red Devils looked to reach the semi-finals for the first time since 2002.
South Korea midfielder Park Ji-Sung was the only unexpected absentee and he is out with a knee injury. Gary Neville (ankle), Mikael Silvestre (shoulder), and Nemanja Vidic (collarbone) were all ruled out.
Roma are missing Max Tonnetto (injured) and David Pizarro (suspended).
They will probably employ a 4-2-3-1 formation and are strong through the middle, with Phillipe Mexes and Christian Chivu solid in defence.
All eyes will be on Francesco Totti, but Amantino Mancini is a lively customer and Daniele De Rossi an efffective midfielder.
AS Roma (from): Doni, Cassetti, Mexes, Chivu, Panucci, De Rossi, Perrotta, Wilhelmsson, Taddei, Mancini, Totti, Curci, Faty, Defendi, Ferrari, Vucinic, Rosi
Manchester United (from): Van der Sar, Kuszczak, Heaton, O'Shea, Brown, Ferdinand, Heinze, Ronaldo, Scholes, Carrick, Fletcher, Eagles, Giggs, Richardson, Rooney, Saha, Solskjaer, Smith, Dong.
What team and formation should United use against Roma? Have your say.
Make sure you click on the gallery link to the right to for our pre-match analysis.
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where's EVRA ?
Where's Cathcart ?
I suspect Fergie recognises that we have to go all out to get at least 1 away goal, judging by the fact that Saha is coming along. Make no mistake, 0-0 in Rome will be a bad result because if Roma score at OT we could be in for a long night. Defence will be much the same as Blackburn with O'Shea at right back. Formation-wise, I'll be surprised (and delighted) if Fergie plays 4-4-2. 4-3-3 is more likely, I guess.
First of all, 0-0 is NOT a good result away in Europe!!
It will be interesting to see our line-up now that Park is injured. It seems like one of Fletcher, Ole, Smith, Saha or KR will start. And when you consider our perfromances away in Europe the last five years it's very hard to find reasons to be optimistic.
Only four defenders in this squad, must be MEN, no way SaF would go to Rome with no defenders on the bench or as squad cover !!!!!
The points total in the Premiership suggests this UNITED team is better than that of recent seasons.
The Champions League is of a higher standard,but if we go out at any stage, I expect we'll go down fighting,as opposed to the meek surrenders of the last two seasons.
Ca5thcart must be shatterd after last night's heroics and it looke like he finished with an injury too. I'm not sure who would be the alternative, mind you.
Bit of a worry about Park. His CL pedigree could be invaluable, even if he does start on the bench. Besides, he's on fire in front of goal, it would be well harsh if he was dropped from the squad!
I dont understand the way the communication between the club and the fans i so poor when it comes to injury. We are all here sitting not knowing what is wrong with Evra. Now we can add Park to the list of players missing in the squad with no speficic reason. How can we think about travelling with 4 defenders. I know Richardson can play left back but we need to keep Rooney and Giggs on top and play someone on the right/left(Fletcher or sorry i have to say this for once Richardson).
This squad has me worried a bit. Only 4 defenders! I think we're going to see the 4-5-1 tonight. We've played it recently and been a bit more positive, as in 433. There's only a slight difference and i think its more to do with attitude than tactics. If we have a positive attidude, then its 433. Negative and the wide men drop back leaving the front man isolated and its 451. We all know how important an away goal is. The one positive of having Saha not fully fit to start, as i'm assuming he wont, is that Rooney will have to play centrally, as has been the case lately, and that might help the formation work. Parks absense though has thrown a spanner in the works. If we have Carrick and Scholes in the middle, Giggs, Ronaldo and Rooney up top, we're one player short. SO its got to be either Richardson, Fletcher or Smith. I'm really not sure whats the best option. I think perhaps Fletcher in the middle, with Scholes pushed on behind Rooney. That or Smith up front with Rooney dropping off. This could be a tougher game than we thought when the draw was made
hopefully MEN have just forgotten to include evra and cathcart. hope they are in the squad as we do need their cover.
we need to get a goal or two even if it means we concede one the away goal is vital! 433 with VDS, GH, WB, RF, JOS, RG, MC, PS, CR, WR, AS or LS then OGS or the other from AS and LS can come on if need be! sure saha will play some part in the game if he doesnt start. his pace and movement is needed if he is fit
United call themselves the biggest Club in the world and travel to Rome for a Champions League game with only 4 defenders. What a joke. Its time to resign fergie. Sven for united
I think Saha will play a bigger part in this game than we think. He's probably been fit and training for a few weeks so he doesnt come back and get injured straight away. maybe its just me but I have noticed a sudden change in fitness levels and less players are being thrown into the mix before their injuries are completeley gone. This always used to happen to Saha hence why he never used to be able to keep injury free for more than 2 months at a time.
BENNI MCARTHY WANTS A MOVE TO HIS BOYHOOD TEAM - NONE OTHER THAN MAN UNITED.... WHO THINKS HE WOULD DO A BETTER JOB THAN SMITH/RICHARDSON/OGS??? HES GOT MY VOTE! BLACKBURN BOUGHT HIM FOR £2.5M AND HES SCORED 18 GOALS THIS SEASON. WE SHOULD BITE HIS HAND OFF HE WOULD FILL IN LARSSON'S VOID.
I believe that a return to the ideals and beliefs[in our strenghts] is in order as we were witness to on sat aft. However the paranoia that seems to afflict the team in europe will no doubt persist as will the 4-5-1 formation, with everybody moved around again and rooney stuck on the left wing!It is high time the team took the belief and performances of the premiership, into the european cup again! I would like to see rooney and saha start up front giggs wide left and ronaldo wide right with scholes and carrick in the middle. Van der saar behind o'shea and heinze full backs with brown and ferdinand central; crucially with intructions to go out and attack them; way past time to set down a marker; dont want to creep through again; if we are to go out lets do it in style. Personally having watched roma i think the tie can be won here in rome leaving them to chase at ot and us countering them into oblivion. 3-1 united in rome 4-2 at ot 7-3 aggregate.
As others have said, that squad doesn't look right! Birdy, I agree with you on the attitude making a difference to the performance, whether that is dictated by SAF/CQ or the players' confidence is something I'm less sure of. Disagree on starting with Fletcher though as I doubt he's fit enough. Maybe we will see 442 after all? we might just have to go hell for leather if that squad is right.
Five attackers and four defenders? The team has turned upsidedown!
We're now entering a period of two matches every week so we should be looking to pull Bardsley back from his Villa loan.
Like to see us play 442 and go for the jugular in Rome but I imagine we'll play a cautious 451 and try not to concede. If that's the attitude the team takes, I think we may be in for a nervous time over both legs. Have to say I'm not overly confident about our chances given European knock-out performances of recent seasons. Also Roma will be very tough, I don't think they conceded against Lyon who are usually a very positive side. Hopefully I'll be pleasantly surprised and see Rooney and Saha up top with Giggs and Ronaldo playing wide and a 3-1 away victory!! Here's hoping as I really want us to stick Totti's comments on us and England generally right back down his throat.
red John, i hope you are, & if so i like your optimism BUT we are unlikely to score 3 goals in the whole tie ... unfortunately !
Birdy i ave to agree seriously about keeping Rooney on top. However I want to see Giggs on top with his pace as the italian has found it impossible to stop him when he has played there(remember 3-0 away to Turin).
For the 4 midfield player it is really an headache as i will prefer Fletcher on the right or Richardson over pushing Scholes more forward.
Well said George
Alias i would disagree on starting with Fletcher too! Hope its not the case. I may have underestimated how fit Saha is. If he cant start though, would Fergie chance Smith? He's seemed unwilling to throw him in to date so i doubt he would do so tomorrow. Same for Ole. We probably should have recalled Rossi actually - he's been playing in Italy since the turn of the yr and would probably have the low down on how to hurt Roma
Alf Ipswich; If we fans don't know the opposing mangers don't know.So; I don't mind that.
Solksjaer is actually doing a great job.He plays 5 MINUTES a game; scored nearly as many as Rooney.He's not a boatrocker,contributes a lot to the ambience of the club.He gives 76,000 supporters something to sing about. You can leave him there to gather cobwebs for me.Just bring him out occasonally to do what the Beatles did...banish the blue meanies!
sorry for Park's injury. hope for he will come back soon
and hope for at least a tie in Rome and a crush at OT
news on park seems to be that he has a slight knee injury. Bad news all the same, because it looks like one of either richardon or fletch will be playing, and as fletch hasn't had any playing time recently along with saha, i would wager that richardson starts on the left wing, with ronnie on the right and giggs up front with rooney. Regardless, I'm not very confident of getting past roma. They're a very good side, and although i know united are the better team and playing some great footballl in the league, in europe we haven't really done the business this season. We started off really well in the group stage, but after fergies tinkering and those few bad results noteably against cletic et al, the lads seem to be more anxious when playing in europe. If they relax, and play their normal game, they should batter roma. But i suspect losing park and with all the changes we will have to make for this game will in the end cost us. Heres for the double at least....
Whats the proceedure with loan deals? Can we recall Evans,Pique,or Bardsley if the worst happens and someone else gets injured or is there some kind of contractual obligation?
Also
This match is SO important. As Birdy said earlier a tougher one than perhaps thought when the draw was made. But imagine the confidence gained to go all the way if we do get past Roma.
Although I would love to see us go there with all guns blazing and put down a statement of intent to other teams watching I think that classic European [away]tactics will be employed. Sit back, wether the storm, silence home crowd, and try to nick a goal to take to OT.
I think this will be a very hard team to beat, hope Saha plays, his pace will be vital for our counters. As for us travelling with only four defenders, I'm sure I've seen Richardson playing as a left-back. I know, not a reassuring thought, but Giggs actually has had that position as well. And if I remember correctly it was against a certain Turin team. Anyway, if we play like we did against Blackburn, we'll destroy any team. We have to watch the spitting lama carefully though, that would make their wingers a lot more predictable.