Five out for Moscow

  • 27 October 2009

Ryan Giggs, Wayne Rooney, Patrice Evra, Ji-sung Park and Darren Fletcher will all miss United's Champions League trip to CSKA Moscow.

The five players - many of them probable starters in Sir Alex Ferguson's strongest line-up - were absent from the squad flying out of Manchester on Monday afternoon.

Sir Alex referred to Giggs, Rooney and Evra's possible absences on Saturday, when he spoke to MUTV following the Reds' 2-1 win over Bolton Wanderers.

"Ryan Giggs has got a knock and is a doubt," Sir Alex said. "We've got to try and get Wayne Rooney ready for Wednesday but we'll see him on Sunday (against Liverpool). We'll have to look at Patrice Evra, he may be a doubt."

Like Rooney, Fletcher missed the Bolton match after picking up an injury while on international duty. Meanwhile Korean sources report that Park is being rested as a precaution due to a water on the knee problem. The club has not confirmed this but Sir Alex may clarify matters in his pre-match press conference in Moscow (Tuesday, 17:30 UK).

Other possible absentees mentioned by the boss on Saturday were Dimitar Berbatov - "I think he will be all right" - and Nemanja Vidic - "I'm hopeful Vidic will be all right, but he'll certainly be ready for the Liverpool game." Both have flown to Russia.

The full United squad to face CSKA Moscow on 21 October is as follows: Van der Sar, Kuszczak, Foster; Neville, Rafael, O'Shea, Ferdinand, Vidic, Brown, J Evans, C Evans, Fabio; Valencia, Scholes, Carrick, Anderson, Nani; Owen, Berbatov, Macheda, Welbeck.