MANCHESTER United are expected to be at full strength for the make-or-break Champions League clash with Benfica at Old Trafford.
After successive defeats to FC Copenhagen and Celtic, the Red Devils require at least a draw to advance into the last 16.
And the good news for manager Sir Alex Ferguson was that all his first team stars were training at Carrington this morning, offering the Scot the kind of selection dilemma he would have wanted ahead of such a big game.
Manchester United (from): Van der Sar, Kuszczak, Neville, Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, Silvestre, Evra, Heinze, Ronaldo, Fletcher, Carrick, O'Shea, Scholes, Giggs, Richardson, Park, Rooney, Saha, Smith, Solskjaer.
Which team would you select? Have your say.
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United team picks itself up these days. The only thinking is between Evra & Heinze:
Van dar sar, Neville, Rio, Vidic, Heinze, Ronaldo, Scholes, Carrick, Giggs, Rooney & Saha.
Subs: Kuszcack, O'shea, Ole, Evra, Fletcher, Richardson.
Line Up: Van der Sar, Neville, Vidic, Ferdinand, Evra, Ronaldo, Carrick, Scholes, Giggs, Rooney, Solskjaer.
DSar
Nev
Rio
Vid
Hein
Ron
Car
Schol
Giggs
Rooney
Saha
------
Solsk
Shea
Evra
Fletch
Kus
Evra over Heinze! The rest of the team picks itself......
Full strength we may be, but imagine what full strength would have meant if the Glazers had left half our money in the OT till for transfers that they said they would!
J. Henriksen, Gravermark, Norway i hope your joking. No question about Saha's place.
since this is a game we are to go out and get the goals we need I would go for Evra from start. When/if we are comfortable, we can bring Gabby and Ole in
Derrick we're top of the league.There are signs that the building blocks are in place and that SAF sees room for one or two additions.Patience! If Hargreaves had been available the cash would've been there. Larsson looks like a good short term move.The club is being well managed at the moment.
the team is a bit of a no brainer really. nice to have ol¿¿ back in contention. we could need him, but hopefully not. good luck to the team for tommorrow. can't take anything forgranted in football, but a home tie and only needing a point means that we should come through tommorrow. Lets hope the lads convert the chances, and kill the game off quickly.
George, just because the boat is sailing nicely does not mean that we should not look out for storms ahead! I agree that SAF seems to have his eye on the ball again and importantly, has stopped the irrational tinkering of last season. However, the warning signs are there in that if we cannot produce the standard of home grown talent that we need to then even if not allowing for transfer howlers, we have to buy at least ¿¿25m of top grade players each and every year to allow for ageing. Giggs and Scholes recognise that their time is short and are enjoying a magnificent indian summer, but how many EPL seasons have they got left? Will they be able to retain their form and stay injury free even for this season?
How fit is Giggs right now? He seems really tired to me but the occasion may lift him certainly the side we see tomorrow won't be the team we see against City.
I have to watch what I say here but City are capable of good football at times then they go into booting the ball downfield mode at every sign of presure. Pretty brutal game against Watford yesterday where the strategy with Watford being to stay clear of Richards who is the best young defender in the prem. Outstanding talent who will probably go to Chelskov in return for SWP. About an 11 MILLION pound loss but who will care.
Really worried about the Benfica game.
Heinze must start because he's more agressive than Evra.fletcher to the bench. Bring Evra and Brown if we are 2-0.
colin of canada dont worry so much if fergie picks our best 11 and tell them to have a real go play at the pace we show in pl with the same set up there will only be 1 result a united victory.My realfear is that we will set out our stall for a draw revert to our( negative) away euro strategy I do hope i am wrong
COME ON BENFICA!!!
That's the ticket!!
Nice and easy does it with Ole and J-S Park.
Let's go for it tomorrow!!
Shoot on sight and take no prisoners!
Come On the Reds
That means Carrick and Evra in the starting XI.
The rest is self-explanatory!
Keep Heinze for ciddy!!
Come On you Reds
Bobby D, I have that same fear. We get a goal up and retreat hoping to keep them out. Worked well against Chelsea, and Boro didn't it. (Even though we managed to get another one against Boro).
Put 'em away early, Evra to start and if (when?) we get a 2 goal lead, Heinze to come on. Ole late on.Rest of the team selections, no brainer, but lets hope Giggs wants to play in this one, he sure didn't look like he was at all interested at the Riverside. And SAF, Giggs plays out wide left not in the left channel! See it's easy.
As long as DF,JOS & "no class" KR are not in the side I am happy to bet the house on the outcome; 2-0.
Got to strengthen the midfield at the expense of the three mentioned above...Nani (youth,energy,speed,), Senna (firm in the middle & not "cup tied") we need to continue to bring into the side players with great technical skill to make "waves" in Europe.
Spirit of Keano
Bobby, my main concern is that we top the group. If you look at all the teams that will finish on top and would be our opponents if we finish second, it's scary. Taking out the British clubs, we would have Lyon (my choice to win it all) Valencia, AC Milan and Bayern.
See what I mean.
We need a win and a Celtic DRAW.
George, have to agree. With Larrson on the way and Park and Ole fit, the bench already looks a lot better. Add Hargreaves and we are in good shape although I'd also have a go at Robben. If nothing else it will ruffle a few feathers. He's not a happy camper right now.
Nice to see Ji Sung Park back in the mix...and great to see a full quota of fit players...Ole and Park add a little more depth to the front 6, which has been a real worry all season.
I would play it different, VDSar, Nev Rio Vid Evra, Ole Scholes Carrick Ronnie, Rooney Saha. Ole will give us the experience on the right wing and incase of an emergency we've got giggs on the bench. We're better of resting him for the city game!!!
2nite we shoudl go with
van der sarr
neville
ferdinand
vidic
evra
ronaldo
carrick
scholes
giggs
rooney
solskjaer
and then we should be safely through to the knockout stages ...
Now, now colin, don't be greedy!
colin of canada with our first eleven and the returnees + larsson we have to fear no one in europe. united at full tilt playing their own brand of attacking attractive football are a match for any side in the world. that said the united that often turns up for away euros ties is another thing alltogether. have faith sir alex the lads are good enough let them off the leash after all your tactics of late have hardly been successful. oh and by the way df jos kr need taking out of the firing line against the top teams