[TeKnIcIaN]

This is great news indeed, but I'd still be inclined to leave him on the bench for the Roma game. For the life of me, I can't see Roma scoring 2 goals more than us on our own turf and without Totti.

Originally Posted by ESPN Soccernet

Rio could make rapid return against Roma

Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand could face Roma in the Champions League on Wednesday at Old Trafford despite suffering a foot injury in the draw at Middlesbrough.


Manager Sir Alex Ferguson will make a decision on Wednesday morning over Ferdinand's fitness.


Should the England star fail to make it then either Gary Neville or Mikael Silvestre are poised to return to the team for this quarter-final second leg match.

Ferguson said: 'I am hoping Rio will play. His scan was clear, that was the important thing.

'Therefore we are hoping we can get him fit to face Roma.

'We will report tomorrow at 11am, so he will have to do something at that time.'

Paul Scholes is set to make his 100th Champions League appearance while Nani could return to the squad after a thigh problem.

United are looking look to build on their 2-0 advantage from the first leg but Nemanja Vidic (knee), Darren Fletcher (knee) and Louis Saha (hamstring) remain sidelined through injury.

Taken from ESPN Soccernet

[ViSh23]

Heyy guys... anyone of u has heard about hargo... did hear that he might miss the games against barca nxt wednesday :S

[Torque]

Here's what I found about Hargo:

Originally Posted by dailymail

Owen Hargreaves is in danger of missing Manchester United's Champions League semi-final first leg at Barcelona on Wednesday after developing a hamstring problem.

Midfielder Hargreaves has finally found form for United over recent weeks, adding a winning goal against Arsenal in the Barclays Premier League on Sunday to a man-of-the-match display in the Champions League win over Roma at Old Trafford four days earlier.

But Sportsmail understands it was after the Arsenal game that Hargreaves felt the top of his right hamstring stiffen up and, as of Thursday afternoon, the problem had shown no sign of easing concerns over Rio Ferdinand and the Brazilian Anderson, but both are expected to be fit on Saturday.

Central defender Nemanja Vidic also has a good chance of playing after making a good recovery from a knee injury picked up in Rome a little over two weeks ago.

There was better news for Ferguson as midfielder Darren Fletcher, who suffered a knee ligament injury when on Scotland duty three weeks ago, is hoping to play again before the end of the season.

The 24-year-old said: 'I've a very good chance of being back in training with the lads in a week. I'm ahead of schedule.

'The medical people said I'd be out for six weeks but I'd like to think I could play some part in the run-in.'

Liverpool striker Fernando Torres has suggested that Cristiano Ronaldo has become so influential at Old Trafford that he carries the United team.

Torres said: 'Cristiano is at another level. He is so good he puts United on his shoulders and carries them in every game. He's above all other players in the world. He's a complete player.

'Barcelona will have to cover him because he can give United a great chance to qualify. If he feels comfortable and takes the game to the opposition, things will be complicated for Barca.'

Liverpool, United and Chelsea are having to put Champions League Final tickets on sale now, under instructions from UEFA.

The problems of processing visa applications to get into Russia, with the final on May 21, has forced the issue, with UEFA telling all four semi-finalists to invite ticket requests from fans immediately.

Source

[Mark]

hoping that he'll be ok, cuz as the article say's he really finded his form

if needed will be ok to rest him with Rovers.

Hopefully he'll be ok.


good news for Vida!

Originally Posted by manutd.com

Vida's return boosts Reds


Nemanja Vidic is fit and will face Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park on Saturday afternoon.

That was the big team news from Sir Alex’s weekly press conference at Carrington on Friday lunchtime, followed by word that Nani will also travel with the squad and could be on the bench for the crunch Premier League fixture.

Vidic injured his knee against AS Roma on 1 April and was forced to sit out the return leg in Manchester, as well as the Reds’ league battles with Middlesbrough and Arsenal.

There was also encouraging news on Darren Fletcher, who was injured on international duty for Scotland in late March. The 24-year-old has returned to light training and is expected to resume full training on Monday.

“It’s good news,” Sir Alex said. “It’s another player back to add to the recent returns of Gary [Neville] and Mikael [Silvestre] and will give us good options."

Not all the news from the manager’s press conference was rosy, however. Midfielders Anderson and Owen Hargreaves are both slight doubts ahead of Saturday’s trip to Blackburn, although Anderson was able to train on Friday. But Louis Saha is definitely out after injuring his hamstring in training earlier this week.

"It's very disapppointing both for us and the Louis," said the boss.

[ViSh23]

Originally Posted by ZEUS

Here's what I found about Hargo:

thx man... yep think he gona be okay for wednesday and if needed SAF can rest him against rovers tomorrow afternoon against rovers...

Better rest him then taking risks....

[Mark]

i'm coming with some good news guys

Originally Posted by manutd.com

Wayne won't miss Wednesday

Sir Alex claims Wayne Rooney, Edwin van der Sar, Owen Hargreaves and Anderson will all be fit to face Barcelona at the Nou Camp on Wednesday.

Van der Sar, Hargreaves and Anderson were rested on Saturday at Ewood Park, while Rooney was forced off against Blackburn Rovers with a hip injury.

Rooney went down under a challenge from Stephen Warnock midway through the second half in United’s 1-1 draw on Saturday. After a period of restricted movement, the England international appeared to loosen up but was eventually replaced by Ji-sung Park in the 90th minute.

“Wayne got a knock on the hip but I’m sure it won’t keep him out of Wednesday night’s match,” Sir Alex told Setanta Sports.

“Sometimes when you get a kick on the bone it can be very sore at the time but I expect he’ll recover.”

[Gunfighter]

That´s fantastic news!

We will need all four of them to overhaul Barca.

[funkdoctorspock]

Well, we have some potentially bad news.

Injury scares leave United in a sweat before Barcelona test

Sir Alex Ferguson faces taking Manchester United into the first leg of their Champions League semi-final against Barcelona this evening without half of his usual defence. Nemanja Vidic and Wes Brown were both conspicuous by their absence when United trained at Camp Nou last night and the two defenders will need to pass late fitness tests if they are to face Frank Rijkaard's team.

Vidic missed the entire session for treatment of the knee injury suffered in the quarter-final against Roma three weeks ago and he is also suffering from a stomach bug. Brown was able to take part in some light jogging but watched from the sidelines as the first-team bibs were handed out for a practice match.

Ferguson is still hopeful that both players will be available but their inability to train will cause consternation ahead of a game in which he expects United's defence to be put under sustained pressure.

Vidic in particular is hugely important for United, his partnership with Rio Ferdinand being one of the principal reasons why the team have the best defensive statistics in English football. His place in training yesterday was taken by Gerard Piqué, a former Barcelona youth team player, while John O'Shea filled in for Brown at right-back.

The fit-again Mikaël Silvestre is also available but playing him would be a major gamble given that he has started only one match since recovering from a serious knee injury that ruled him out for seven months. Piqué's involvement would also worry many United supporters. The 21-year-old is inexperienced at this level and Ferguson intends to give Vidic as long as possible to prove his fitness.

The Serbian international will undergo medical tests today and has indicated that, if he is permitted to by the club's doctors, he will play even if he is not feeling fully fit. That, however, would represent another gamble, with United playing Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday in a match that will go a long way to deciding the outcome of the Premier League.

Injury scares leave Manchester United in a sweat before Barcelona test | Football | The Guardian

[USAManUtd13]

It makes no difference as Darren Fletcher is ready to tear Barca apart!

In all honesty, though, being without Vidic and Brown would be reminiscent of last year's matches with AC Milan. Would Neville be an option? I wouldn't think so. O'Shea and Pique would need to fill in and that's quite worrying.

[funkdoctorspock]

I was thinking the same thing, but if you remember last year against Milan in the second leg, Rio was out and Vidic was rushed back, clearly not match fit.

If the news holds true, we have a fit Rio and a young Pique. I still like our chances. As for Neville. If he or O'Shea starts, they will have a hell of time containing Henry/Iniesta. And that right there worries me. Hargreaves will be starting I suppose in the right back position. K, I take the worry bit back. We'll be fine as long as Fletcher is ready to go as a sub!