Denis Irwin will be deployed in a familiar role when Manchester United seek to give added substance to their Champions League challenge in the home leg of their quarter-final against Inter Milan tomorrow evening.
After being left out of the team which struggled to a 2-1 win over Southampton on Saturday, Irwin will reclaim his place at left back as Alex Ferguson picks the team from a full-strength squad.
Sitting out games has never been easy for the 32-year-old Irishman but he grudgingly admits that the manager's decision at the weekend was probably the correct one.
"I'm one of those who wants to play in every game. With so much competition for first-team places at the club nobody can afford to be away from the action too long.
"The manager's argument is that every game that Manchester United plays is a pressure one and that players can benefit from the occasional rest. On balance, he's probably right."
Only Bill Foulkes and Bobby Charlton have played in more European games for United - nobody, in Ferguson's estimation, has been more consistent than the player he signed for just £900,000 from Oldham in the summer of 1990.
United's accumulated experience promises to be one of their most useful assets as they prepare to resume their search for the trophy required to apply the seal on the most successful period in the club's history.
"It takes time to master the formula for success in European football and while many would say that United have been slow learners, I think we're now closer to it than at any time in recent years," he said.
"In the Premiership, it's still all about attack and having a go at the opposition. European football is a lot different, however, for if you give the ball away you know that its going to take a long time to get it back.
"You know, too, that if you make a mistake at the back you're almost certain to be punished. You can be comfortable at 0-0 and then find yourself two or three goals down in a matter of minutes if you're not careful.
"Those are the kind of lessons we've learned along the way. It still doesn't guarantee success of course, but now I believe that we're that much better prepared to cope in pressure situations."
Two years ago, United looked equally well fitted to go all the way in their search for European fulfilment, only to lose to Borussia Dortmund in the semi-finals. Now Irwin reckons that the belated benefits of that painful lesson can come on stream tomorrow.
"It was German doggedness more than anything which beat us then. They stuck to their game plan like leeches and we didn't have the method or, maybe, the patience to cope. Last season our form in the Premiership had dipped before we took on Monaco in the quarter-finals. Added to the bad run of injuries, we were left us chasing the tie over the two legs.
"When you've been through bad nights like those, you learn not to go making rash predictions. But we're still looking forward to a big night on Wednesday."
Inter Milan star Aron Winter has delivered a damning indictment of English football ahead of the Champions League quarterfinal tomorrow night.
Winter, not Argentinian World Cup foe Diego Simeone, will mark England midfielder David Beckham in the clash against Manchester United at Old Trafford as Inter are expected to field virtually the same team which drew 0-0 with Juventus on Saturday.
And the Dutchman has few fears about facing the Premier League leaders on their home soil, insisting United are "predictable".
"We know the English, they get into a line and kick the ball forward," he said. "They seem predictable to me, but that's not to say it's going to be a walk in the park for us."
Winter's comments, reported in the Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, are bound to fire United up even though, as an old friend and neighbour of ex-United and Inter star Paul Ince, he concedes the match will not be easy.
"We'll have to show the right fighting spirit, but that's something Inter have always done in the Cup.
"It's not a problem to me. Given that things aren't going for us in the Serie A and the Italian Cup, this is our chance to make up."
Brazilian striker Ronaldo seems certain to miss out because of his knee injury, so Inter's only change from Saturday is likely to see veteran libero Giuseppe Bergomi taking over from cup-tied Croatian defender Dario Simic.
Mircea Lucescu's side now trail Serie A leaders Lazio by 13 points but goalkeeper Gianluca Pagliuca believes that his side are a different proposition when it comes to the European Cup.
"Winning the Champions League is an easier objective for us to reach, because you've only got to do well in five matches," he said.
"I'm not saying it's going to be easy, on the contrary, we are really going to have to suffer. But it's going to be an historic match at Old Trafford and it's bound to get everyone very motivated."
Inter have already beaten Real Madrid 3-1 in Italy during the group stages of the competition.
Pagliuca added: "We'll have to play like we did against Real Madrid and remember that we have been through hell to reach these quarter-finals and that it would be absurd to let things slip now."
Defender Fabio Galante warned Alex Ferguson's side: "In the Champions League we're a different team to the one in Serie A. At least that's how it's been up to now.
"Our form in Europe tells that we are an excellent side, capable of beating anyone, while in the championship we're a bit behind. That means we've got to focus all our energies on an objective as prestigious as this one, and really believe that we can achieve it.
"Inter seem born to make their own fans suffer, but I say they can be confident about going to Manchester.
"There are two Inters, and the one in the Cup is the best."
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