Man United stars set to rest in clash against Middlesbrough

Updated on: 02 May,2009 08:23 AM IST |
AFP |

Manager Ferguson to rest stars today to keep them fresh for Champions League semi-final against Arsenal

Manager Ferguson to rest stars today to keep them fresh for Champions League semi-final against Arsenal

Cristiano Ronaldo. pic/afp

The Old Trafford manager will ring the changes as the leaders go in search of their latest victory against relegation-threatened Middlesbrough at a 34,000-sell-out Riverside Stadium today.

Ferguson's line-up will be barely recognisable from that which gained a single goal advantage over Arsenal in the Champions League semi-final in midweek, with Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick all set to be rested.

Captain Rio Ferdinand, who is ruled out with a rib injury, is likely to be the only enforced changed with Paul Scholes, Park Ji-Sung, Nani, Darron Gibson, Jonny Evans, Wes Brown, Danny Welbeck and Federico Macheda ready to come in.

United go into their second leg against Arsenal at the Emirates barely 72 hours after their trip to Teesside in a congested end-of-season fixture schedule, and Ferguson is anxious to allow his high-profile names chance to rest as they close in on a quadruple of trophies.

He said: "I've got a squad and I intend to use it. The midfield will change and the players up front will also probably change.

"I'll bring some freshness into the team in some important areas but I won't change my back four, which will be much the same apart from Rio. I've got a bigger squad to cope."

Second-bottom Middlesbrough are three points adrift of safety after claiming just two victories in their last 22 league games to put their 11-year stay in the top flight under serious threat.

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