Rooney and Giggs to stay back in England as United fly to Spain tomorrow.

Rooney and Giggs will have to watch United's Champions League display from their TV screens as both are injured!

Rooney was supposed to recover from his minor ankle injury (as Sir Alex said) but it seems that the injury is quite serious as it looked earlier. Giggs's hamstring problem is quite serious on the other hand and is sidelined for at least 2-3 weeks.

United face Valencia, who devastated the Turkish Champions Bursapor 4-0 2 weeks back) on Wednesday - 29/09/2010 in a Champions League clash.

Match 6: United lose away as Giggs is ruled out for 2-3 weeks

Manchester United suffered another away defeat today as they gave away 2 crucial points which could have decreased the gap between themselves and Chelsea.

Also, Ryan Giggs suffered a hamstring injury and is expected to miss the Champions League game away against Valencia CF.

Rooney also suffered a minor ankle injury and was replaced by Federico Macheda. Both Rooney and Ferdinand are expected to return against Valencia though.

Serbian defender Vidic to wear the captain armband, WHY?

Sir Alex's favourite man to wear the Man United arm-badge for Manchester United this sesaon

It's right! Serbian defender is named the captain at the theatre of dreams in a rather shocking decision by Manchester United.

UCL: Tactical Rangers manage a draw at Old Trafford

United had a  rather ordinary European night against Rangers

Javier Hernandez praise before Wayne Rooney and Darron Gibson kick off the 2010/11 Champions League Campaign

Wes Brown made a comeback against rangers from an minor injury

Fabio da Silva looked quite charged up front

Wayne Rooney fighting for the ball

Wayne Rooney looks on as the paramedics give aid to Antonio Valencia

A rather ugly football site, God Bless Antonio Valencia, Fergie says he's out for a "long" time.

Manchester United 0-0 Glasgow Rangers

Old Trafford

Yellow Cards: Giggs, McGregor, McCulloch.

It was a goal-less start to the dream Champions League campaign for Manchester United who were thoroughly frustrated by their British opponents Rangers.

Sir Alex Ferguson made a whooping 10 changes from the squad that drew at Goodison Park, Everton on the weekend. Tomasz Kuszczak was in goal for the entire game as Van Der Sar warmed the bench. Rio and Smalling started in the central defending role. Brown and Fabio Da Silva took on defending on the flanks. Valencia, Fletcher, Gibson and  Park featured in the Mid-field for United. Rooney and surprisingly enough: Chicharito were given the attacking role.  Giggs, Owen, Anderson and Macheda warmed the bench alongside the veteran Dutch goalie.

Hats off to Rangers who did some impressive defending and restricted United from having too many chances. Their defending was totally top class. Hats off to Walter Smith for having successfully planted and implementing working tactics to the Rangers squad. It all worked out well.

Not so good news for United - Valencia got injured in the second and the situation looks pretty bad at the moment. He was carried off the pitch on a stretcher while being oxygenated and was admitted to a nearby Hospital thereafter. It was a very sad moment for United who will lose a very valuable and explosive winger for months as Sir Alex said in an post-match interview.

Darron Gibson was the star of the night again with some impressive long range shooting - his trademark really! He seemed to had taken the role of Paul Scholes - especially when Giggs set him from the corner. Otherwise, a very confined attacking display from the Red Devils. Although they had the majority of the possession in both the halves, they were not allowed to take advantage of it, thanks to the awesome defending of the Rangers.

Giggs came on for Valencia and seemed effective while crossing the ball but couldn't link up with a player neatly.

The game was quite dull to be frank - thanks to the frustrating tactics played by Walter Smith's men.

Player Rating

Tomasz Kuszczak7.5
Rio Ferdinand 7 - made an easy comeback, nearly gave the possession away in the 1st half
Brown 7
Smalling 7
Fabio 6.5
Fletcher 7.5
Gibson 7.5 - Star of the game
Valencia 6.5
Park 6.5
Rooney 7 - looked good with accurate long passes but struggled in the attacking third
Chicharito 6 - needs more noroushing clearly!

Subs
Owen 5.5 - seemed pretty useless
Giggs 6 - his penalty appeal was valid Ref!
Evans N/A

MATCH DAY FACT
United got 6 "legal" extra minutes after the 90 minutes, they had the possession for about 80% of the time and yet couldn't score. Had it been last season, it might have been a different story!

Anyway, thanks for reading, wishing ANTONIO VALENCIA a quick recovery from the miserable injury!

Ferdinand to start at Goodison Park

Rio Ferdinand all set to play his first game at Everton on 11/09/2010

Rio Ferdinand's omission from Manchester United's reserves has hinted at a first team return this weekend against Everton. Ferdinand, 31, has been ruled out of Sir Alex Ferguson'splans after injuring knee ligaments before World Cup 2010. 

His first taste of action came before the international break after he started for the second string against Stockport County.

The Three Lions skipper is believed to have come through that test unscathed and is set to be reunited with Nemanja Vidic at Goodison Park.

Fellow long-term absentees Anderson and Wes Brown were picked for the clash against Stockport County on Thursday night as they continue their recoveries.

Hargreaves named in the 25 man squad, Ferdinand to make a reserves team come-back

Victory!

The D-day verdict is out! Hargreaves has been included in the 25 man squad..

Let's hope he wiil be able to play some games this season.  Although, the player is still in the US getting treatment for his tendonitis problem, let's also hope he makes a speedy recovery... 

Meanwhile, Rio Ferdinand is all set to make his first appearance since his World Cup 2010 injury nightmare by turning out for Manchester United reserves tonight.

The 31-year-old Three Lions captain was forced to pull out of the England squad after damaging knee ligaments in the first training session on South African soil.

After originally being expected to be out until the end of this month, manager Sir Alex Ferguson has been boosted by the return of his star centre-back.

Ferdinand is joined by fellow long-term absentees Anderson and Wes Brown in the starting team for the Manchester Senior Cup clash against Oldham Athletic's second string.

If he comes through the fixture unscatched, he could be available for the the Premier League meeting with Everton on September 11.

A Wednesday:What lies ahead for Owen Hargreaves?

Bad days come often in one's life,but Owen Hargreaves is having his worst days since a while. Suffering from a terrible knee injury, Hargreaves is facing more than just pain. He missed the WC 2010, but that is past, there are speculations that he would miss most of the Premier League.

Owen in action with MU's reserve team.

If Sir Alex Ferguson opts against naming the midfielder in his 25-man Premier League squad on Sept 1, the 29-year-old will be ineligible for league games until January and faced with the prospect of reserve fixtures and Carling Cup ties between now and New Years’ Day.

By professing that he does not know whether he can afford to allot one of the 25 places to Owen Hargreaves, Fergie has almost wiped the mist off the dubious minds of fans.

Warming up for the 30 second display against Sunderland

There is no certainty about when Owen's nightmares would end,as its been 2 years since he has been howled by injuries,this one being the worst,because it seems like a wound on his otherwise excellent career.Since his last Premier League outing for United, a 90 minute appearance in the 1-1 draw at Chelsea on Sept 21, 2008, Hargreaves has managed 45 minutes for the reserves and less than sixty seconds as a substitute during the 1-0 win at Sunderland on May 2.

Although Sir Alex has described his omission as 'unfortunate', but he is helpless himself. With his contract ending with the end of the season, Hargreaves future seems to be forlorn.

Hargreaves played Chelsea while he got injured in Sept, 2008.

Few fans have already started grieving for the loss of one of the best mid-fielders of present times,for the squad of Manchester United and England's National Team.Both the teams would still welcome him back,but Hargreaves has admitted himself that his surgeon, Dr Richard Steadman, claimed his knees were in as bad a state as any he had seen his career and sure that is not good news!

But the news can become sorrier for him,if Sir Alex refuses to bet on his future by putting his Club's future at stake.

Wednesday is the D-Day,lets see what is the future of Owen Hargreaves! The Red Devil Spot wishes him all the best and hopes for the good news!