Fergie backs makeshift United to beat odds

Martyn Ziegler

United’s list of injuries and other selection problems have lengthened week-by-week through the summer and Ferguson will be down to the bare bones this weekend.

The side will have been buoyed by their away win against Dinamo Bucharest but should he need to make changes in midfield against Chelsea, Ferguson will have to rely on youngsters such as 19-year-old Kieran Richardson.

Ferguson said: “It’s a difficult one, no doubt about that. We would prefer not to have played Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

“But I’m satisfied with the players I have got - they are a great bunch and they did a great job on Wednesday.

“We have the experience to handle all types of competition, that’s the most important thing, to be able to handle pressure games as we did on Wednesday.

“A lot of people were expecting us to stumble, or maybe hoping we would stumble, but nonetheless they showed their experience and did not panic even when we went a goal down.”

Ferguson will be forced into one change as Scottish midfielder Darren Fletcher is suspended but Ireland’s Liam Miller should take over his place on the right after an excellent cameo against Dinamo.

“Liam Miller comes into the equation after his second-half performance,” confirmed Ferguson. “He did very, very well and impressed me greatly. I would have no hesitation in starting the lad.”

Apart from Miller, it should be a case of ‘as you were’ for United with Roy Keane continuing at centre-back - brought in there in midweek as the defence looked suspect against Arsenal last Sunday - and John O’Shea a surprise success in central midfield.

“It’s a marvellous option for us,” added Ferguson.

“Keane showed wonderful experience and the influence he has on everyone. There were some great performances and Keane’s was one. It has always been a possibility that O’Shea could become a midfield player but we couldn’t do it last season because our back four was disrupted with injuries after February.

“He was a physical presence in midfield for us and apart from that did very, very well on the ball.”

Meanwhile, Ferguson rejected reports that Louis Saha will be out until 2005. The French striker has a knee medial ligament injury but Ferguson insisted he is still on course to return in three weeks.

He said: “Louis Saha has not had an operation, and has been training terrifically for the last week and doing everything apart from kicking a ball.”