Ferguson facing defensive crisis

With no end to his defensive injury nightmare, Alex Ferguson is facing Champions League oblivion at Old Trafford tomorrow.

Trailing 1-0 from the first leg against Zalaegerszeg, Ferguson must decide whether to stick with the side which engineered a 2-2 draw at Chelsea on Friday, or restore Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to his starting line-up.

Solskjaer scored from the bench in the opening-day win over West Brom but Ferguson may adopt a more cautious approach against unheralded opponents who know an away goal would send the Red Devils into panic.

Juan Sebastian Veron seems certain to stay on the bench, with Paul Scholes likely to stand down should Solskjaer get the nod.

Rio Ferdinand (ankle), Fabien Barthez (hip), Gary Neville (foot) and Wes Brown (ankle) all miss out.

Provisional squad: Carroll, Williams, P Neville, Blanc, O’Shea, Silvestre, Tierney, Beckham, Keane, Butt, Scholes, Giggs, Veron, van Nistelrooy, Solsjkaer, Forlan, Pugh, Stewart, Chadwick, Richardson.