LIVERPOOL manager Roy Evans decided yesterday on the 11 men who will start tomorrow's Wembley showpiece against Alex Ferguson's double chasing Manchester United, but he won't announce the team until today after he's broken the bad news to three hopefuls.
It seems likely that Evans' decision will spell disappointment for Neil Ruddock, Michael Thomas and record FA Cup goal scorer Ian Rush.
Ruddock, 28 today, is likely to have the birthday present he craved snatched away, with Evans likely to stick with Mark Wright, John Scales and Phil Babb at the back.
Thomas, who scored the sensational opening goal when Liverpool beat Sunderland at Wembley in 1992, also seems unlikely to be handed a starting place.
Despite his combative style, Evans seems poised to plump for an artist rather than an artisan, with the vote likely to go to Jamie Redknapp, who has shrugged off a minor hamstring problem, and John Barnes.
Rush, who leaves Liverpool at the end of the season after a glorious 15 years, expends to be left out of the starting line up, with Evans almost certain to go for his 55 goal pairing of Stan Collymore and Robbie Fowler.
But Evans, while refusing to confirm that the Welshman would not start, made it clear that he expected Rush would be called upon, with the chance of adding to his record five goals in Cup finals.
"Ian will take some part, that's for sure," said Evans. "When you've got somebody of his experience, it would be wrong not to use him.
United counterpart Alex Ferguson also has tough decisions to make, with Steve Bruce, Andy Cole and Gary Neville perhaps the men to miss out.
After last weekend's title clinching victory at Middlesbrough the United manager hinted that that side would be the one on duty tomorrow.
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