Rooney on the bench for United

Wayne Rooney was on the substitutes’ bench tonight for Manchester United in the Champions League clash with CSKA Moscow following the birth of his baby son Kai yesterday.

Manager Alex Ferguson handed a European debut to Federico Macheda at Old Trafford, with the 18-year-old Italian partnering Michael Owen up front.

Ferguson rang the changes following the weekend’s Barclays Premier League victory over Blackburn with Gary Neville, Darren Fletcher, Paul Scholes and Fabio all returning to the side.

United were looking to complete the double over the Russians and a fourth straight win in Group B, which would almost certainly guarantee qualification.

Man Utd: Van der Sar, Neville, Brown, Jonathan Evans, Fabio Da Silva, Valencia, Fletcher, Scholes, Nani, Macheda, Owen.

Subs: Kuszczak, Evra, Anderson, Rooney, O’Shea, Obertan, Gibson.

CSKA Moscow: Akinfeev, Alexei Berezutsky, Vasili Berezutsky, Ignashevich, Shchennikov, Krasic, Semberas, Aldonin, Mamaev, Necid, Dzagoev.

Subs: Pomazan, Daniel Carvalho, Maazou, Odiah, Piliev, Rahimic, Grigoriev.

Referee: Olegario Benquerenca (Portugal)