Ferguson left with walking wounded

Alex Ferguson would be forgiven for believing that the squad rotation system with which he has flirted rather than lovingly embraced these past few seasons has this morning become mandatory.

In the immediate aftermath of Saturday's vibrant success over Liverpool at Anfield, the Manchester United manager was playing the numbers game - counting heads rather than chickens.

Although the Champions Cup which was won so memorably in Barcelona just weeks ago has still to attract its first full coating of Mancunian dust, United's defence of the trophy opens at Old Trafford tonight against Croatia Zagreb, a low-key team with, from an English perspective at least, a high-profile manager.

Five years after his love affair with all things British ended acrimoniously with dismissal by his beloved Tottenham, Ossie Ardiles returns, more a transformed man with a mission than a vanquished one with malice in his heart.

As Ferguson stalked a treatment room which had the feel of a M*A*S*H unit, Ardiles unwittingly provided confirmation that all managers are now subjected to relentless and debilitating pressure.

Ardiles has been in charge at Zagreb only a matter of a few weeks, and yet already many of his nights are sleepless, already he is fearing for his job, already he fears the worst.

"Last week, after we had drawn a league game against Rijeka, I didn't sleep at all because I was worried about my position," he said. "I spent the night thinking about the mistakes we had made and how I could put things right.

"It seems that every single day since I arrived at the club someone asks me if my job is safe. The level of expectation is very, very high. The truth is that we are expected to come here, to the home of the champions of Europe, and win. Me? I'll be happy with a draw."

Two out of United, Zagreb, Sturm Graz and Marseilles will progress with the third-placed team going into the UEFA Cup.

Ardiles said: "I expect to qualify and it's a very good group from our point of view.

"It is wonderful to be involved in a game like this with Manchester United, who are the champions of Europe, but the point of the exercise is to get to the next round and I certainly think we're more than capable of doing that."

Ardiles's sacking by Tottenham after just 16 turbulent months left him bitter and deeply confused.

"The whole experience had a big impact on my soul," he said. "This will be the first time that I have had anything at all to do with English football since I left Spurs - that is how big a shock it was to me.

"It was always my plan for my team to play beautiful football; I was a naif, a dreamer. Now I am more realistic in my approach."

His rehabilitation was undertaken in Japan where he led Shimizu S-Pulse to two cup wins in a highly successful three-year tenure.

"I restored my confidence out in Japan but it was different out there. The pressure at Zagreb is the real thing - there is a fanatical love of football in Croatia," he said.

There is a fanatical love of football down Old Trafford way, too, as Zagreb may discover to their cost this evening.

But for United, definitely missing will be the injured Roy Keane, Nicky Butt, Jesper Blomqvist, Ronny Johnsen, Gary Neville, Wes Brown and David May, along with the ineligible Massimo Taibi, Mickael Silvestre and Ronnie Wallwork.

Indeed, Gary Neville was yesterday informed that the stomach muscle injury he sustained while playing for England last week will keep him out for up to two months.

Ferguson may well use the youngsters Michael Clegg and Jonathan Greening at right back and on the right side of midfield respectively, allowing him to push David Beckham into the centre alongside Paul Scholes.

"I am confident of the young players' temperament and that is important in big games," said Ferguson. "This should be an interesting encounter. I am particularly pleased that Ossie Ardiles in back in Europe, back on the big stage again. I think he'll do well."

CROATIA ZAGREB (probable): Ladic, Juric, Tomas, Tokic, Biscan, Jurcic, Saric, Mujcin, Cvitanovic, Sokota/Prosinecki, Simic.