Eight years after his false start with Everton, David Moyes steps into the glare of Champions League combat tonight as Manchester United open their campaign against Bayer Leverkusen at Old Trafford.

Reading manager Brian McDermott believes the Premier League is witnessing the repercussions of Manchester United’s agonising title failure last season.

Alex Ferguson is convinced Manchester United have a stronger squad now than their 1999 Treble-winning campaign.

Darren Fletcher will miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery to resolve his ulcerative colitis condition, Manchester United have confirmed.

Alex Ferguson believes Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has taken a punt on signing Daniel Sturridge.

Manchester United 0 Cluj 1

Manchester United 0 CFR Cluj 1

David de Gea returned to a Manchester United starting line-up showing 10 changes from the weekend for tonight’s Champions League encounter with CFR Cluj at Old Trafford.

It’s rare that Alex Ferguson’s mind isn’t on the task in hand but that appears the case ahead of tonight’s encounter with CFR Cluj at Old Trafford.

Nemanja Vidic took another step towards making his Manchester United comeback in tomorrow’s Champions League encounter with CFR Cluj when he took part in this morning’s training session at Carrington.

Alex Ferguson has vowed to continue with his European experimentation policy next month even though it cost Manchester United their 100% Champions League record in Turkey last night.

Valencia and Bayern Munich both progressed to the knockout stages of the Champions League with a 1-1 draw at the Mestalla last night.

Manchester United dodged a Galatasaray welcome committee in Istanbul last night — but Alex Ferguson insists a return to ‘Hell’ poses no problems.

Bayern Munich surged to the top of Champions League Group F with a 6-1 hammering of pointless Lille.

Wayne Rooney has warned his Manchester United team-mates they must stop falling behind in games after another scare.

CFR Cluj 1 Manchester United 2

CFR Cluj 1 Manchester United 2

Manchester United landed in Transylvania yesterday afternoon with Alex Ferguson ordering his side to start baring their teeth.

Alex Ferguson has hinted foreign players only have themselves to blame if they are not treated fairly by Premier League referees.

Alex Ferguson has hinted foreign players only have themselves to blame if they are not treated fairly by Premier League referees.

Michael Carrick, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes were all missing from Manchester United’s travelling party for their Champions League tie with Romanian champions CFR Cluj.

After their Premier League hot streak came to an abrupt end on Saturday, Manchester United aim to ensure there are no nasty surprises in Transylvania tomorrow.

Alex Ferguson thinks John Terry might consider himself to have got off lightly after being hit with a four-match ban by the Football Association yesterday.

Barcelona came from behind to get their Group G campaign off to a winning start as two goals from Lionel Messi helped them beat an Aiden McGeady-inspired Spartak Moscow 3-2 at the Camp Nou.

Manchester City face the mother of all battles to reach the knockout phase of the Champions League after being drawn in the toughest of the groups in Europe’s top club competition.

Manchester City will face Real Madrid for the first time in a competitive match after being drawn against Jose Mourinho’s side in the Champions League group stage.

The champions of England, Spain, Italy and Germany could all be in the same group when the draw for the Champions League takes place in Monaco today (5pm).

ANGEL DI MARIA hit a late winner for Real Madrid at Auxerre. The win takes them to the top of Champions League Group G.

Angel Di Maria hit a late winner for Real Madrid at Auxerre as the Spanish giants jumped to the top of Group G.

A team of Irish match officials will take charge of a Champions League group stage match for the first ever time this Wednesday, signalling a major breakthrough for Irish referees.

MANCHESTER UNITED and Rangers were drawn together in Group C of the Champions League at yesterday’s draw in Monaco.

Didier Drogba has been left out of a 26-man Ivory Coast squad for Tuesday’s international friendly against Italy in London.

WITH the 2009-10 version of the UEFA Champions League coming to a close at the Bernabeu with Inter defeating Bayern Munich 2-0 on Saturday night, here is a look at who could be the top contenders in next season’s competition.

Romanian champions Unirea Urziceni, who will face Liverpool in the last 32 of the Europa League in February, have parted company with coach Dan Petrescu.

FULHAM manager Roy Hodgson is relishing the must-win match with Swiss side Basle after his team kept their Europa League hopes alive by beating CSKA Sofia last night.

Chelsea 2 Stoke 1

Chelsea 1 West Ham 1

Midfielder Frank Lampard returned to the Chelsea line-up in place of Salomon Kalou for today’s Barclays Premier League against West Ham.

MICHAEL BALLACK has warned Chelsea’s Premier League title rivals that Didier Drogba will give his side an added dimension to help them recapture their home form heading into the crucial Christmas period.

Luiz Felipe Scolari hailed Didier Drogba as “one of the best strikers in the world” after the Ivorian climbed off the substitutes’ bench to fire Chelsea into the knockout stage of the Champions League.

Chelsea 2 CFR Cluj 1

Chelsea’s Portugal playmaker, Deco, is convinced they can make light of Frank Lampard’s absence and qualify for the next phase of the Champions League.

LUIZ FELIPE SCOLARI showed no sign of feeling the strain ahead of a game which could cost Chelsea millions if results conspire against them.

TYPICAL Chelsea. Just when the club which even Macchiavelli would consider rather too political for their own good delivers an on-field performance which appears to leave no question unanswered, Luiz Felipe Scolari decides to dodge the post-match inquisition and, suddenly, all the old doubts flare up once again.