Champions League: Man United to field strong team

Posted Tuesday, November 01, 2011 by YAHOO Sport

With Manchester United’s place in the second round of the Champions League far from certain, manager Alex Ferguson will pick a strong side to face struggling Romanian side Otelul Galati on Wednesday.

Otelul has no points and just one goal from three group games so far, but two draws and a single win has left United second in Group C and just a point ahead of third-place FC Basel at the halfway mark.

United, which won 2-0 at Otelul two weeks ago through two penalties by Wayne Rooney, beat Everton 1-0 in the Premier League on Saturday.

“I don’t think there will be a lot of changes,” Ferguson said. “Maybe two or three but no more. We have to win on Wednesday without doubt. We’re at home and I expect us to win and, if we do that, it’s in our hands when we play Benfica at home.”

Last season’s runner-up hosts Benfica in the penultimate round of group matches on Nov. 22. The Portuguese side, which has seven points to United’s five, hosts Basel in Wednesday’s other Group C match.

“I expect Benfica to beat Basel as they’re in a bit of disarray,” Ferguson said. “We’ll hopefully win our game and, when we play Benfica at home, it’ll be the decider in our section.”

Despite a slow start to the group stage, Ferguson is still targeting first place in the group and what should be a more favorable draw for the next round.

Nemanja Vidic is suspended after his 66th-minute red card in Romania, but Rooney—the only English player shortlisted for the FIFA world player of the year award—should again lead the attack. Javier Hernandez scored the winner against Everton and may continue his partnership with Rooney.

But midfielder Tom Cleverley seems set to miss out after sitting out training Tuesday with an ankle problem, with winger Ashley Young and defender Chris Smalling also among those absent.

Youth players Paul Pogba, Larnell Cole and Ezekiel Fryers were in the 25-man squad that trained.

Benfica won 2-0 at Basel two weeks ago to boost its chances of reaching the knockout stages for the first time since 2005-06, when it was eliminated from the quarterfinals by eventual champion Barcelona.