• Marseille v Manchester United, Champions League

Injury-hit United face Marseille test

Didier Deschamps has previously been linked with the manager's job at Liverpool © Getty Images

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"Deschamps will never be anything more than a porteur d'eau'' - Eric Cantona.

While Marseille coach Didier Deschamps would be justified to want to prove a point to the former King of Old Trafford by beating Manchester United in the Champions League, the 'water carrier' will let his side do the talking for him on Wednesday night.

"Well, I was the 'water carrier'," Deschamps said ahead of his side's last-16 clash with United at Stade Velodrome. "I never pretended to be a Messi or a Zidane. I wasn't a great player but I played in great teams. And great teams are not just created by the architect but also by bricklayers and hod carriers.''

One could argue that the 'bricklayer', who picked up the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 with France, has sought to bring a similar philosophy to his teams as a manager. His considerable achievements in taking Monaco to the Champions League final, dragging scandal-hit Juventus back to Serie A and ending Marseille's 17-year wait for a trophy have made him one of the most respected bosses around. A reputation that would only increase by adding United to his list of scalps.

But Marseille have a mountain to climb. United have only lost two of their 24 European matches against French opposition and also have a terrific away record in the Champions League, having won nine of their last ten games. The French side will also have to overcome Sir Alex Ferguson's side without main striker Andre-Pierre Gignac, who has suffered an adductor muscle injury, and there are also doubts over Mathieu Valbuena, Loic Remy and Brandao.

United have injury concerns of their own, though. Ryan Giggs, Rio Ferdinand and Anderson have not travelled to Marseille, while Michael Owen and Jonny Evans also miss out.

The club's attacking style has taken a backseat this campaign, as they only managed to score a meagre seven goals in the group stage (the worst conversion rate, at 10%, of all the teams in the last 16) but there have been signs that some added stability at the back could form an excellent platform for success in the competition this year.

With the likes of Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov and Nani leading the line, United have the firepower to dispatch any opponent on their day and Marseille's 'water carriers' will certainly have to be in top form.

Marseille player to watch: Lucho Gonzalez . A transfer that may have slipped under the radar back in the summer of 2009, FC Porto's shining light moved to France for around £20 million when many considered that he should have joined one of the bigger clubs in Europe. However, the Argentine midfielder has more than settled at Marseille as he helped them to the Ligue 1 title last season with five goals and 12 assists, and has already bettered his goalscoring tally this season, with six. A creative force, he is also a hardworking midfielder and United will need to pay close attention to his runs.

Manchester United player to watch: Michael Carrick . With raft of injuries hitting the United squad, Carrick's importance as the shield in front of the back four takes on new significance. A two-footed, incisive passer, Carrick can build attacks from deep, but also patrols the central areas in order to snuff out the opposition's breaks. His commitment and positional nous are key to halting Marseille's attacks and, away from home, his role could certainly help build the foundations for the second-leg.

Key battle: Gabriel Heinze v Patrice Evra. There is an intriguing subplot between these two as Evra took Heinze's spot in the United first XI when he arrived in England for £5 million five years ago. Now, after Heinze's fallout with Sir Alex Ferguson and, via Real Madrid, the Argentine has landed in France and the battle on both sides' left flank will be under the microscope. Clearly, Evra has the edge in both youth and pace, but could be distracted by the French fans' reaction to his first game back in France since the debacle of the World Cup. Heinze's commitment and fighting spirit have stood him in good stead over the years and he will be a tough opponent to overcome, so it could be a close one.

Trivia: Only one French team (Lyon in 2004) has ever scored more than one goal against Man Utd in European competition.

Stats: United have the best defensive record in the Champions League - having conceded just one goal this season - while Marseille have only scored six goals in their ten games against English opposition in the European Cup, and never more than once in a match.

Odds: Marseille (3.60), the draw (3.30) and Manchester United (2.10) are all on offer at bet365, with United winning both halves coming in at 7.00.

Prediction: A draw would represent a decent result for United away from home, but they may even get more than that. Any away goal would be precious and they should be well placed to come away with a smile on their faces.

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