Ferdinand back to plug United's leaky defence

Manchester: Rio Ferdinand will return from injury to shore up Manchester United's defence and striker Wayne Rooney will put aside private turmoil for their Champions League opener against Rangers on Tuesday.

Rooney, who last week appealed for privacy after days of media speculation about his marriage, was left out of the squad for Saturday's Premier League trip to Everton as manager Alex Ferguson aimed to spare him abuse from fans of his former club.

United conceded two goals in stoppage time to draw 3-3, making news of the dependable Ferdinand's return after knee ligament problems particularly welcome before the all- British Group C match at Old Trafford (1845 GMT).

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"I think Rio will play on Tuesday night," local media quoted Ferguson as saying of the England defender who has been out of action since hurting his knee during training at the World Cup in June.

"It's a European tie at home and we've got to take advantage of that."

For that reason, Ferguson is likely to stick by his suggestion that Rooney, United's top goalscorer in the competition last year with five goals, will be back in the team after what the striker called an "extremely painful" time.

Scottish champions Rangers come into the match on the back of their own last-minute drama after Kenny Miller came off the bench to seal a 2-1 victory over Hamilton Academical on Saturday.

'HARD WORK'

The striker said Rangers, who failed to win any of their six Champions League matches last season, will need good fortune against three-time European champions United.

"You're playing against one of the best teams in Europe, if not the world," he told BBC Scotland. "It's going to take a lot of hard work and a bit of luck."

Rangers expect Steven Whittaker to be fit after he missed Saturday's game with a calf injury sustained on international duty with Scotland but fellow defender Kirk Broadfoot is doubtful after limping off at the weekend with an ankle problem.

The clubs' managers know each other well, with Walter Smith having worked as an assistant to Ferguson at United and for the Scotland national team.

Ferguson has the upper hand against the club he supported as a boy and who he also played for, with United having beaten Rangers and kept clean sheets in both previous encounters, in the group stage of the 2003-04 Champions League.

Police in the English city have stepped up security for the match, bringing in an extra 250 officers, to try to avoid a repeat of the crowd trouble that marred the 2008 UEFA Cup final between Rangers and Zenit St Petersburg.

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"This an opportunity for the club and the fans to put that behind them and move on and show that they can come and watch football and behave themselves," assistant chief constable Ian Hopkins said.

The other teams in Group C are Spain's Valencia and Turkish champions Bursaspor.

Possible teams

Manchester United - 1- Edwin Van der Sar; 22-John O'Shea, 5-Rio Ferdinand, 15-Nemanja Vidic, 3-Patrice Evra; 24-Darren Fletcher, 18- Paul Scholes, 11- Ryan Giggs, 17-Nani, 9-Dimitar Berbatov, 10-Wayne Rooney

Rangers - 1-Allan McGregor; 16-Steven Whittaker, 24-Madjid Bougherra, 3- David Weir, 5-Sasa Papac; 14- Steven Naismith, 8- Steven Davis, 7-Maurice Edu, 11-Kyle Lafferty, 9-Kenny Miller, 19- James Beattie