Man Utd Seeks To Consolidate Against Schalke, Today

Manchester United striker, Wayne Rooney will sit out in today’s Champions League semi-final second leg against Schalke 04 with a tight hamstring.

Holding a 2-0 first-leg lead and with the crunch Premier League game against Chelsea scheduled for Sunday, boss Sir Alex Ferguson will shuffle his side.

Dimitar Berbatov is likely, therefore, to start up front, possibly alongside Michael Owen in a two-pronged attack.

Fabio da Silva will miss out, however, as he is suffering from a knock.

The Brazilian picked up the injury in a match that has ensured this weekend’s Premier League match against Chelsea at Old Trafford could prove to be the key in this season’s title race.

United are three points clear of the Blues with three matches left in the season but defeat on Sunday would see them leapfrogged at the top of the Premier League and playing catch up in their final two games of the season – Blackburn away and Blackpool at home.

With that in mind, it is thought Ferguson will rest a number of key stars against German outfit Schalke today.

The Red Devils outplayed Schalke in the first leg last week, to take a 2-0 advantage into today’s second leg.

And with Anders Lindegaard and Darren Fletcher available again after a knee ligament injury and virus respectively, the likes of first choice keeper Edwin van der Sar and Michael Carrick could sit out the tie as United aim to reach the 28 May final.

Speaking after the weekend defeat by Arsenal, Ferguson said: “We have a big week ahead.

“Today is a European semi-final second leg and… we will regroup and freshen it up. I will make some changes without question. I will bring Paul Scholes back in, Dimitar Berbatov, Michael Owen.

“We’ll need to do that but I will probably keep my experienced players at the back.

“We are in as good a position as you could ever wish for at the start of the season – semi-final of the European Cup, second leg, two-goal lead and go into a home game on Sunday level on goal difference [and with a three-point advantage].”

Real’s Marcelo (12) after drawing Madrid level at the Nou Camp last night