BARCELONA, Spain (REUTERS) - Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will let his "last little gut feeling" decide his starting lineup for Tuesday's (April 16) Champions League quarter-final, second leg against Barcelona.
Alexis Sanchez and Nemanja Matic were part of United's 22-man travelling squad as they look to overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit.
Chilean forward Sanchez, who scored 47 times in 141 appearances with Barca between 2011 and 2014, has not featured since picking up a knee injury against Southampton last month, while Matic is recovering from a muscle injury.
United lost the home leg against Paris St Germain in the previous round 2-0 before turning the tie around in the French capital, and Solskjaer is hopeful his players can serve up a repeat at the Nou Camp.
"I think I'll be so focused, so concentrated," Solskjaer told the BBC.
"I'll have my last little gut feeling on who to play.
"Because against PSG I had a team in my mind when we travelled in the morning, walk out into the stadium, see the stadium and you say 'nah, I'll change, I need to do this, he needs to play' and it turned out ok."
The Nou Camp has an added significance for Solskjaer after he scored a stoppage-time winner in the 1999 Champions League final against Bayern Munich at the stadium in United's treble-winning season.
"That goal has been mentioned a few times, yes," the 46-year-old said.
"So many people have congratulated me and talked to me about that night. They say 'it was the best night of my life but don't tell my wife' - that kind of thing."
United's short-term target is to secure a Premier League top-four finish and qualification for the Champions League, but Solskjaer wants the club to compete for major honours next season.
He stressed it was important to have strong characters in the dressing room if United are to compete with Europe's elite on a regular basis.
"If you want to win, if you want to play at Man United you have to have a personality," Solskjaer added.
"You have to stand up for yourself against big boys because you're going to play against top players in the world and then you can't look round and always ask for help. We all have to step up."
Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany has announced he's set to donate all of the proceeds from his upcoming testimonial to Manchester's homeless population. At the age of 32, Kompany is on the
Very good Kompany: City's captain marvel - dailymail.co.uk
Football: Pep Guardiola sorry to have derailed Manuel Pellegrini's final days at Man City. Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola during a Champions League game with Schalke 04 in Germany.
Guardiola sorry to have derailed Pellegrini's final days at City
Students, parents: Racism prevalent at this Michigan school. Dozens of parents, students and others wanted to voice their concerns after they say a student portrayed blackface at Forest Hills
Prada pulls 'blackface' figurines from shelves amid outrage
Read more about Jesus fires as Man City snatch top spot from Liverpool on Business Standard. Pep Guardiola welcomed Gabriel Jesus's return to form as the Brazilian struck twice in a 3-1 win over Everton as Manchester City leapfrogged Liverpool back to the top of the Premier League.Jesus hadn't scored a Premier League goal for four months
Gabriel Jesus double fires Manchester City back to the top of
Arsenal took an early lead but a red card for Sokratis Papastathopoulos changed the game as the Gunners slumped to a 3-1 defeat at Rennes on a night of tightly-contested Europa League last-16 first-leg ties on Thursday.
10-man Arsenal slump in Rennes, Sevilla held - Cyprus Mail
Liverpool will be without forwards Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino when they face Barcelona in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final as they look to overturn a 3-0 deficit, manager
Liverpool's Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino ruled out of Barcelona
Stadium switch poised to lift Spurs. Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino (waving) and chairman Daniel Levy in the stands of the new stadium during the Under-18 Premier League game against
Stadium switch poised to lift Spurs - theworldnews.net
Football: Stoke's England World Cup-winning 'keeper Gordon Banks dies at 81 LONDON (AFP) - Gordon Banks, the England football team's goalkeeper when they won the 1966 World Cup, has died aged 81, his former club Stoke announced on Tuesday (Feb 12).
Gordon Banks: England's World Cup-winning goalkeeper dies
No room for complacency The latest reading of Philippine economic prospects by a credit rating agency and an economic research group is so positive that the opposition is likely to charge that the reports have been produced specifically to influence the May 13 elections in favor of administration candidates.
Quinnsights: No Room for Complacency in L&D | Learning
Football fans urge S/Eagles to emulate Liverpool spirit at AFCON The Nation Newspaper Football: Liverpool fans in Singapore and around the world in awe after improbable comeback
Football: Klopp hails 'best night' of his life after ending
sportstoft.com/soccer/football-klopp-hails-best-night-of-his-life-after-ending-final-hex/
Liverpool vs Porto Champions League team news: Dejan Lovren returns to starting XI ; Football: Messi torments Liverpool with 600th Barca goal in 3-0 Champions League win ; Football: Liverpool fans in Singapore and around the world in awe after improbable comeback
Football Raddy Avramovic Could Make Shock Return To Singapore
Spain wasteful but Enrique happy with chances created
0 Kommentare:
Kommentar veröffentlichen