CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMI-FINAL, SECOND LEG
Venue: Old Trafford Date: Wednesday, 4 May Kick-off: 1945 BST
Coverage: BBC Sport website; BBC Radio 5 live and BBC Radio Manchester 95.1FM and DAB; live on ITV 1
Venue: Old Trafford Date: Wednesday, 4 May Kick-off: 1945 BST
Coverage: BBC Sport website; BBC Radio 5 live and BBC Radio Manchester 95.1FM and DAB; live on ITV 1
Rooney is expected to make way for Berbatov up front against Schalke
Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney will sit out Wednesday'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 Sunday's 1-0 defeat by Arsenal,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. However, defeat on Sunday would drop United to second and leave them playing catch up in their final two games of the season - Blackburn away and Blackpool at home.
 | I will bring Paul Scholes back in, Dimitar Berbatov, Michael Owen Sir Alex Ferguson |
With that in mind, it is thought Ferguson will rest a number of key stars against German outfit Schalke on Wednesday.
The Red Devils outplayed Schalke in the first leg last week, emerging 2-0 victors.
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 earn a date with Barcelona in the final on 28 May.
"Darren [Fletcher] will play part of the game," Ferguson said on Tuesday. "He has shown great improvement from the reserve game last week and his weight is back to normal.
"It is just that issue of game time and a little bit more strengthening."
And speaking after the weekend defeat by Arsenal, the Scot said: "We have a big week ahead.
"Wednesday is a European semi-final second leg. 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.
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Ferguson aims to keep United fresh
"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]."
Ferguson was keen, however, to warn his side against complacency, adding: "We have to be favourites for the title, if only because we are three points ahead.
"But that can evaporate quite quickly and we have a big job to do. As I said last week, the drama is not finished."
Schalke players, meanwhile, were forced to endure a two-hour delay as a result of visa issues on Tuesday before flying to England for the Old Trafford tie.
Five of their players, including Peruvian Jefferson Farfan, Brazilian Edu and Japanese Atsuto Uchida, had not been issued the relevant paperwork as non-EU passport holders.
The Germans are hoping to have Benedikt Hoewedes fit after a stomach muscle injury, and Klass-Jan Huntelaar following a two-month break because of a damaged medial knee ligament.
Schalke boss Ralf Rangnick is hoping his team's quarter-final first-leg victory over Inter Milan will provide sufficient inspiration against the three-time European champions at Old Trafford.
"In football, you can get the chance so we will see what happens," he said. "When we played in Milan against Inter people didn't give us much hope either.
"I think we have to be well organised in the first 10 minutes and then we have to take our chances when they're presented, even if there are just two minutes left.
"You think of Manchester United and the Champions League win when they came back to win 2-1."
Barcelona booked their place in the final by completing a 3-1 aggregate win over Real Madrid.
Man Utd (from): Van der Sar, Kuszczak, Lindegaard, Rafael, O'Shea, Ferdinand, Vidic, Smalling, Evans, Brown, Evra, Valencia, Scholes, Anderson, Carrick, Fletcher, Gibson, Park, Giggs, Nani, Obertan, Rooney, Berbatov, Owen, Hernandez.
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