• Manchester United v Benfica, Champions League

Injuries affect Fergie's balance as United face Benfica

Ryan Giggs scored in Manchester United's 1-1 draw in the away Champions League tie at Benfica © PA Photos

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Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted a glut of injuries has unsettled Manchester United this season, as they prepare to qualify from the group stages of the Champions League against Benfica.

United have bounced back from their derby-day mauling against Manchester City by recording five straight wins without conceding a goal. Yet there remains a hesitancy in their play, borne out of having to make so many changes.

In pairing Michael Carrick with Ryan Giggs in the centre of United's midfield at Swansea on Saturday, Ferguson was using his ninth different combination. Central defence has seen just as many changes, with Jonny Evans, Phil Jones and Chris Smalling all used at various times in addition to established first choices, Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand.

Yet, with Vidic serving the final game of a two-match European ban, Ferguson will be forced to make another swap. It is not something the Scot is too concerned about, however he does concede the normal fluency that would be expected from such an impressive sequence of victories is missing.

"There have been some changes in the team from the one that started the season,'' said Ferguson. "You don't envisage having quite so many injuries. Everyone was fresh at the start. We had been through a brilliant pre-season in the States with not one injury. Then you are hit with a little list.

"It doesn't disrupt us to a great degree but it does unsettle the balance of the team. Sometimes we are having to rethink which team to play whereas when the team is in full flow you don't need to worry.''

Ferguson can see an end to the problems, even if it won't come in time to help out against Benfica. Smalling for instance has started training after suffering a broken bone in his foot and Ferguson expects the England international to be available for Saturday's Premier League encounter with Newcastle.

Danny Welbeck was also put through his paces at Carrington on Monday morning after suffering a hamstring strain on England duty and cannot be far away from a return. Ferguson is also optimistic Evans will have recovered from his own hamstring niggle in time to feature at Old Trafford, whilst it is not imagined a "couple of knocks'' will be enough to keep Wayne Rooney out.

Winger Nani has particular incentive to impress given he came through the ranks at Benfica's arch rivals Sporting Lisbon, just like his illustrious former Red Devils team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo.

If Benfica coach Jorge Jesus is to be believed it sets up a chess-style confrontation at Old Trafford on Tuesday in a repeat of the 1968 final Sir Alex Ferguson hopes does justice to the legacy of Sir Matt Busby.

"As we welcome Benfica to Old Trafford the memories of many Manchester United supporters will fly back to those early days in European competition when George Best mesmerised Portugal's finest in the Stadium of Light and then ultimately to the night Sir Matt Busby achieved his European dream in 1968 to make United the first English club to win the European Cup,'' Ferguson told United Review.

"That must have been an emotional occasion for Sir Matt, who had defied the English football hierarchy to take United into the European Cup. Matt Busby was a man of vision. He persuaded his chairman to accept UEFA's invitation to take part in a championship of champions because he felt after proving his team the best in England, he wanted to measure them against the best of other countries.

"Even the air disaster didn't deflect his purpose and just 10 years later, he did in fact prove that in 1968 his team were the supreme champions. Now Europe runs deep in the psyche of Manchester United and Benfica evokes these memories.''

Key battle: Oscar Cardozo is a bully of a centre forward for Benfica, and he possesses a hammer of a left boot. In the home tie, Cardozo outmuscled Jonny Evans to open the scoring, so whoever marks him at Old Trafford will need to be up for a physical 90 minutes of football.

Prediction: 3-1

Bet of the day: Wayne Rooney to score first in a 3-1 win, 40/1 with bet365.

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