Keane set to miss out
Skipper Roy Keane was a notable absentee from the Manchester United squad which headed out to Athens for tomorrow night’s Champions League encounter with Panathinaikos.
Having already informed the Irishman that he would be rested at times this season, manager Alex Ferguson confirmed to the Press Association this morning that Keane would be spared the four-hour flight in order to rest a minor hamstring strain.
The injury is not expected to keep Keane out of the crucial Barclaycard Premiership clash with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
England midfielder Nicky Butt is expected to take Keane’s place in the United starting line-up, amid allegations that he held showdown talks with his manager over his lack of recent first-time opportunities.
Butt this weekend he admitted he had at times been upset at being left out for key games, although publicly he insisted he had never thought about leaving his only professional club.
Other than taking a safety-first policy with Keane, Ferguson was taking no chances, with all his big stars expected to make the journey to south east Europe.
United require just a single point to ensure qualification for next year’s knock-out phase, although they do have the safety net of a home tie with German league leaders Stuttgart to come in a
fortnight's time.
Provisional squad: Howard, Carroll, G Neville, O’Shea, Fortune, Silvestre, Ferdinand, Fletcher, Ronaldo, Djemba-Djemba, Kleberson, P Neville, Butt, Giggs, van Nistelrooy, Forlan, Bellion, Richardson.
