Owen in for Rooney for CSKA test
Owen set for rare start against CSKA
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Tuesday, 03, Nov 2009 01:10
By Michael Younger.
Michael Owen looks set for a rare start in the Manchester United attacking line-up for tonight's clash against CSKA Moscow, with Wayne Rooney absent for the birth of his first child.
With Dimitar Berbatov also a doubt through injury, Owen is ready to lead the line against the Russians as United go in search of the win that would guarantee them a spot in the knockout stages of the competition.
Sir Alex Ferguson's side are currently top of Group B with three wins from three, and will be the favourites against a Moscow outfit who have replaced former Tottenham manager Juande Ramos with Leonid Slutski after a disappointing recent run in all competitions.
The Russians will be looking for their first ever victory on English soil. However, they will have positive memories of their last trip when they drew 1-1 with Aston Villa in the Uefa Cup last season - eventually beating them 3-1 on aggregate.
Former Liverpool winger Mark Gonzalez is out for the trip to Manchester with an ankle injury, and has been ruled out for the rest of the year having undergone surgery.
Sekou Oliseh has not travelled after suffering a hip problem in the pre-match warm-up against FC Terik on Friday, while Guilherme is also out.
Slutski said: "This is a good opportunity to see the team play on such a big stage.
"We won't be treating the game any differently though because, with respect to the opposition, CSKA also have very capable players.
"We intend to attack but I'm still getting to know the team which makes the task doubly difficult."
Slutski's men will face a hard task, as United are unbeaten in their last 22 Champions League games at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils will be without the defensive partnership of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic - both calf injuries - while the midfielder pairing of Ji-Sung Park and Ryan Giggs, both with knee injuries, will also be absent.
Gary Neville is available as his three-game suspension for his sending off against Barnsley only affects domestic fixtures, while Darren Fletcher is back after recovering from a foot injury.