Ok, It looks like Diego and Ronaldo may be playing so looks like
---------Tim----
-Gaz--Rio--Josh--QF
-----Phil---Keano--
-Ronaldo------Giggsy
--Forland---Ruud----
Forlan forces his way into Champions League reckoning
November 4, 2003
AFP - Nov 4, 6:44 am EST
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PARIS (AFP) - Uruguay international Diego Forlan has become a real force for Manchester United, pushing himself into the reckoning for their return match at home to Rangers in the Champions League.
Striker Forlan has taken time to settle at Old Trafford but his goal and general performance in their 3-0 victory over Portsmouth on Saturday means he is finally becoming the player boss Alex Ferguson thought he would be.
The supremacy of both Manchester United and fellow Premiership side Chelsea in their pools will be put to the test this week.
United's 1-0 victory against Rangers at Ibrox two weeks ago has been a huge boost to their European campaign and Ferguson's men defend their lead in Group E with a home tie against the Scots.
Chelsea's 2-1 victory at home to Lazio has also left them top of Group G but surely manager Claudio Ranieri would be happy with a point in the Rome return to keep up their momentum.
Forlan's form has been a real plus for United especially with the absences of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Paul Scholes and Kleberson through injury.
Though it is not clear whether Forlan will start against Rangers, his goal a game during the last three matches has brought an acknowledgement from Ferguson he will be difficult to drop.
Ferguson said: "He seems to be getting better - he could have had a hat-trick in the each of the last two games but today he's linked well and scored his goal and did his job.
"When players are scoring goals it does make it difficult to leave them out, I have always felt that, and he definitely comes into the reckoning for Tuesday."
The Uruguayan himself admitted that patience was paying off.
"Every time, every game you hope to be involved, and we all hope we will be. I always train hard and try to prepare myself well so when I get a chance I do as good as I can - and then the manager has to decide," said Forlan.
Rangers' German midfielder Christian Nerlinger has been ruled out of the match however and Dutchman Fernando Ricksen is extremely doubtful.
The double injury blow is a serious setback for Rangers where defeat could be fatal to their chances of advancing to the knockout stage of the tournament.
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United may field Ronaldo against Rangers
November 4, 2003
AFP - Nov 4, 6:53 am EST
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LONDON (AFP) - Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson may use a fresh Cristiano Ronaldo on Rangers after resting the Portuguese winger during the last few games.
Ferguson did not play Ronaldo in the match against Rangers at Ibrox and also left him out of the starting line-ups for United's last two domestic games, believing the 18-year-old has had too much expectation on his shoulders.
But the Portuguese starlet came off the bench on Saturday to score his first goal for United during a 15-minute cameo and Ferguson hinted he could be involved at some point against Rangers in the Champions League re-match at Old Trafford.
"What we realised after the game we lost in Stuttgart is maybe we asked too much of him," Ferguson said Tuesday.
"We keep forgetting he is only 18 and with young players in the past we have given them spells where they are in the team and then rested them.
"That's not to say he will not be involved tomorrow. We have rested him for the last two games, and I think at this stage of his career he needs the freshness, we can't ask him to play every game.
"We just have to monitor his progress far more carefully than other players in the squad."
Ferguson, who on Thursday celebrates 17 years as United manager, has admitted his side need to play better than in the 1-0 win at Ibrox a fortnight ago - and has instructed his players to be more aggressive.
"Rangers have done very little wrong this season and we have to make sure they don't control the tempo of the match the way they did in the first half at Ibrox," he said.
"I thought they controlled the rhythm of the game through [Mikel] Arteta - nobody tackled him. We sat back - even Roy Keane was sat back in front of the back four - and we don't want that to happen.
"I'm hoping we are far more positive and aggressive in our defending," added Ferguson.
