Beckham starts for Milan

David Beckham has been named in the AC Milan starting line-up to face his old club Manchester United at the San Siro tonight.

It was thought Beckham might have to be content for a place on the bench, but seven years after leaving Old Trafford the former England skipper has been given the chance to inflict some damage on Alex Ferguson’s team in the first leg of the last-16 Champions League encounter.

As expected, new England skipper Rio Ferdinand returns to the back four, where Ferguson has also gone for the youth of Rafael ahead of experience in Wes Brown or Gary Neville to fill the right-back berth.