Markus up foe Gala game

German referee Markus Merk will take charge of the UEFA celebration game at Old Trafford on March 13.

Merk, who officiated the 2003 Champions League Final between AC Milan and Juventus at the ground, will be assisted by Alessandro Griselli (Italy) and Mark Simons (Belgium), with Howard Webb acting as fourth official.

The game will mark the 50th anniversary of both the Treaty of Rome and United’s entry into European football.

David Beckham, Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher have already confirmed their acceptance of invitations to play in the European Select side, which will be managed by Marcello Lippi, while Sir Alex Ferguson has vowed to field his strongest possible Manchester United line-up.