Ferguson keeps Ancelotti guessing

Man Utd v AC Milan:  Alex Ferguson once declared that if an Italian told him it was pasta he would "check under the sauce". Ferguson is notoriously suspicious of the "masters of the smokescreen" but, looking ahead to Milan's visit this evening, the only subterfuge came from the Manchester United manager himself and the issue of whether Ruud van Nistelrooy would play.

Determined not to give the Serie A leaders any clues as to his starting XI, Ferguson artfully deflected questions about whether van Nistelrooy, the scorer of 36 goals in 37 Champions League matches, would be thrown into his first game since being diagnosed with a serious Achilles injury in late November.

United's manager wants to make it a guessing game for his opposite number Carlo Ancelotti, although if Milan are as thorough in their preparations as Ferguson suspects, information should already have reached them that van Nistelrooy was training in a first-team bib yesterday.

"Ruud's fit. He has been great in training and he's ready to come back," said Ferguson. "It's a big decision. He's the best striker in Europe and his record in this competition is incredible. I've no fears on that count but after three months out there has to be a question about whether the pace of the game will be too much for him early on and whether it would be better to have him as a substitute."

The return of van Nistelrooy would certainly invigorate United's chances of squeezing past their esteemed opponents, particularly as Milan will be without their own talismanic striker, the European footballer of the year Andriy Shevchenko. Even with a side that reads like a Who's Who of Serie A - Paolo Maldini, Clarence Seedorf, Alessandro Nesta, Kaka and many more - the loss of Shevchenko with a fractured cheekbone and eye socket has to be considered a significant factor.

Ferguson pointed out the calibre of possible replacements, seasoned internationals such as Rui Costa, Jon Dahl Tomasson and Filippo Inzaghi, but the United manager conceded it was "a big loss" for their opponents, and therefore a considerable boost for his own players.

"We have watched them in every game since the draw was made and, while we obviously respect them, we have seen nothing to frighten us," Ferguson said. "We now have great experience of playing in Europe and, in particular, we are much improved at handling the counter-attacks that can be so devastating in Europe. We are not as vulnerable and have a better patience factor."

This was Ferguson in a confident relaxed mood that will be a complete contrast to the tense emotions that will engulf Old Trafford this evening. As ever, the manager had armed himself with statistics, the most notable being that Milan have not won any of their nine games in England, and it is doubtful his mood will have darkened upon hearing that Ancelotti is toying with the idea of deploying Jaap Stam at right back.

Stam is a formidable centre-half and, deep down, Ferguson may regret letting him go to Lazio but, for all his strengths, marking a fast, direct winger like Ryan Giggs or Cristiano Ronaldo is not one of them.

Ferguson is entitled to believe that his most penetrative players, notably Wayne Rooney and Ronaldo, will relish the challenge of facing a defence whose parsimonious reputation does not alter the fact that they have an average age of more than 30. As Ferguson dryly observed: "Some of them make Roy Keane look like a spring chicken."

Rio Ferdinand said last night that United are playing as well as at any time since he joined the club. They have not lost in the Premiership since October and have an unbeaten record at home in the Champions League stretching back 20 matches. "In my first season we went on a great run to win the league," he added. "We're in that groove again now. It's taken a while to get consistency but we're showing great form in every game. And we've got players like Ronaldo and Rooney who have no fear. They will go out there as if they are playing in their back garden."

It is a verdict that Ferguson approves of. "We're equipped to win the competition," he said. "When you consider the maturing of Ronaldo and Rooney, the return of van Nistelrooy and the form of Roy Keane, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs, we must have a great chance."

Ancelotti has done plenty of homework on Ferguson's side and though United have conceded just five goals in their last 15 matches, he believes United's defence could prove to be a weak link. "Their defence struggles if it is attacked quickly," he said. "It is essential not to let them set the pace of the game. We want to dictate the play, then the way they play could allow us to find more space."