Manchester United v Arsenal: Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson looks like having all his key players available for tomorrow's Champions League semi-final first leg against Arsenal at Old Trafford. Arsenal's preparations have been more complicated after striker Carlos Vela was kept in quarantine over fears he may have contracted 'swine flu' when he had visitors over from Mexico.
Vela has travelled to Manchester after spending a day separated from the rest of the squad. The 20-year-old was told to stay away from training yesterday after a visit by some Mexican friends last week.
Mexico is the centre of the outbreak of the disease and Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said: "It looked to be a massive problem because we were asked yesterday to keep him at home and not get him to the training ground.
"Now he has the all-clear and today he was free again to attend training."
Defender Kieran Gibbs is a major doubt with an ankle injury, while his likely replacement Mikael Silvestre is not certain to be involved either as he tries to shake off a back complaint.
Captain Cesc Fabregas (ankle/knee) and defender Johan Djourou (knee) also got through training this morning but leading scorer Robin van Persie (groin) and left-back Gael Clichy (back) remain sidelined, while Russian midfielder Andrey Arshavin is ineligible.
Centre-half William Gallas (knee) and long-term absentee Tomas Rosicky will miss the rest of the campaign.
Although United captain Gary Neville is out with a foot injury, Wes Brown was among the first-team squad which trained at Carrington this morning, with Ferguson still to decide which four of the 20 outfield players on duty to leave out.
Brown, who has managed just a couple of substitute appearances since injuring his foot in October, is likely to be one of those, although the Scot may consider using the experience of a player who was part of the side which won the Champions League final against Chelsea in Moscow last May.
Ferguson also faces a delicate decision up front.
Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and Dimitar Berbatov all scored in the 5-2 win over Tottenham at the weekend — but it was the half-time introduction of Carlos Tevez which set the Red Devils on the way to victory from 2-0 down.
The Argentinian has already expressed his dissatisfaction at the number of appearances he has made this season but now may be hopeful of facing the Gunners. It also seems highly likely John O’Shea will be handed the right-back berth, his greater experience preferred to Rafael De Silva, who signed a two-year contract extension yesterday.
He admitted today he may be tempting fate, but Ferguson has his eyes fixed on creating another chapter of footballing history. In the euphoria of the Champions League final victory over Chelsea in Moscow last year, it was pointed out to Ferguson that no team has managed to retain the trophy since it changed from the European Cup.
Milan, Ajax and Juventus were all beaten finalists in the mid 90s a year after becoming European champions, but no side have managed to go one better.
Yet it was in Moscow, with the celebratory bubbly still fizzing in his glass, that Ferguson started to turn his mind to a successful European title defence.
He said today: "When we won it in Moscow the point was made in the press conference about no side having ever retained the cup in the Champions League format.
"I didn't know that was the case at the time, but you say to yourself it would be great if we could be the first do that. We are good at winning things for the first time and maybe that is a good omen for us.
"Talk is cheap, but faint heart never won fair lady and it's something I would dearly love to do.
"Some might say I am tempting fate but at Old Trafford we have always set our sights high.
"No one is saying it will be easy, and we will certainly need to enjoy that little rub of luck and freedom from injury that can make you or break you."
Provisional Man Utd squad: Van der Sar, Foster, Kuszczak, O'Shea, Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evans, Evra, Rafael, Ronaldo, Nani, Carrick, Scholes, Fletcher, Anderson, Giggs, Park, Berbatov, Rooney, Tevez.
Arsenal (from):Almunia, Sagna, Toure, Silvestre, Gibbs, Nasri, Song, Denilson, Fabregas, Walcott, Adebayor, Fabianski, Djourou, Eduardo, Bendtner, Diaby, Vela, Ramsey, Eboue.
