Ferdinand vows not to gamble on fitness

RIO FERDINAND has vowed not to gamble on his fitness in tonight’s Champions League final.

Ferdinand has been a major doubt since suffering a calf strain in the semi-final victory over Arsenal three weeks ago.

At one point last week Alex Ferguson claimed Ferdinand would have to play some part at Hull on Sunday to give himself a chance of facing Barcelona.

The £29.1million star did not appear at the KC Stadium but all the vibes around him have been positive.

However, with Jonny Evans proving to be a more than capable deputy, Ferguson does have an alternative.

And Ferdinand has pledged not to take any risks.

“I wouldn’t do that,” he said. “There is no way I will play if my fitness was detrimental to the team.”

While Evans has shown plenty of promise, Ferguson would prefer to have Ferdinand alongside Nemanja Vidic as United attempt to keep out a side that put six past Real Madrid in the Bernabeu last month and boast a strike-force with more than 90 goals between them this season.

Not that United have to stretch their minds too far back to discover a way of keeping the Catalans quiet.

They did it themselves in last season’s semi-final when Paul Scholes’ thunderbolt settled a two-legged tie high on talent if short on goals.

And it took an injury-time effort from Andres Iniesta to break Chelsea hearts in this year’s semi-final, when Ferdinand spotted a previously unseen flaw in the Blues’ rearguard.

“They defended deep that night, which can be a problem against opponents as good as Barcelona,” he said. We can do that, and we proved it last season. However, we can also defend much higher up the pitch.

“That is the strength we have. Hopefully we pick the right options.”

As United’s defence picks itself, with John O’Shea and Patrice Evra at full-back, and both Michael Carrick and Ryan Giggs expected to be involved from the start, Ferguson’s remaining selection dilemma centres around his strikeforce.

Ferguson is said to be toying with the idea of using Ronaldo as an orthodox forward and using Park to plug the right wing.

Meanwhile, Berbatov is already having doubts about taking a penalty in the Champions League final.

The Bulgarian has admitted a tame spot-kick against Everton in the FA Cup semi-final defeat has shaken his confidence. He said: “That hurt. I’m not sure I’d step up now.”

Berbatov also claimed only victory in Rome would make him feel like an equal in the United dressing room.

“I am part of this team but I don’t feel fully part of it as I didn’t win the Champions League (last season).”