Fergie claims Juve clash is ‘biggest club game in world’

ALEX FERGUSON hailed tonight’s Champions League clash with Juventus as ‘the biggest club game in the world’ – and then admitted he wished the Italians were at full strength.

The news that Juventus have been decimated by injury and ‘flu should have been welcomed after the weekend from hell for beleaguered Ferguson, but the wily Scot remained wary.

“We are all selfish, so it should be good news that they have a few players out but I would prefer them to have their strongest side available,” he said.

“There is always this worry that when you are playing a weakened team there is a drop in your own mental preparation. We cannot fall into that trap.

“Manchester United against Juventus is the biggest game in the world. It doesn’t matter who has the ‘flu virus, we are still playing the game and we have to do our job.”

Juve’s injury crisis has undermined what should have been the biggest clash of the third round of second phase matches, although the match had already been reduced to a sideshow alongside the row which erupted in the United dressing room which left David Beckham nursing a gash above his eye.

Ferguson confirmed Beckham has recovered from the calf injury which saw him limp out of the FA Cup defeat and with Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes both overcoming minor niggles, United’s only absentee will be suspended Argentinian Juan Sebastian Veron.

The Old Trafford chief travelled to watch tonight’s opponents record a 2-1 win over Parma to join Inter Milan at the top of Serie A on Sunday and came away suitably impressed, even if the Turin side will show a number of enforced changes because of the virus which has ripped through their camp.

In a decade of constant battle in Europe, the fortunes of Juventus and United have been intertwined.

It was the Italians who taught the current Red Devils their harshest lessons with back-to-back victories in 1996 which were far more comfortable than their 1-0 scoreline implies.

But it was also Juve who provided Ferguson with what remains arguably the finest performance during his time at United, the magnificent 3-2 comeback win in the 1999 semi-final, the English side’s only win on Italian soil.

“In the early days Juventus were the benchmark for us,” said the United boss.

“Over the past decade they have been one of the best sides in Europe; never out of the top three in their championship, a number of league titles and three European Cup finals in a row. You have to recognise that consistency.

“They are a serious club in every aspect. Everything is run properly, there is a great foundation to it and a lot of pride.

“Marcello Lippi is a fantastic coach and it all comes from him, his experience helps keeps Juventus at the top.”

Any reminder of that 1999 epic in Turin, when United recovered from an early 2-0 deficit to force their way into their first European Cup final for 31 years immediately conjures up an image of a rampaging Roy Keane.

Even though a yellow card had already ruled him out of the final, the Irishman almost single-handedly dragged United back into the contest, scoring the visitors’ first and completely outplaying tenacious Dutch opponent Edgar Davids, who will again be in the rival camp tonight.

Over the past week, the seriousness of Keane’s injury problems has seeped out and his below-par display in comparison to Patrick Vieira at the weekend has been seen by some as compelling evidence that his immense talent is on the wane.

Ferguson, though, bristles at the mere possibility.

“My confidence in Roy Keane as a football player has never been misplaced,” he said.

“I have said it many times, but his performance in Turin that night was one of the greatest of all time.

“He knew he was going to miss the final, yet unselfishly he still dragged himself forward for the whole team.

“It was a great measure of Roy as a person and all United supporters will remember it.”