Injury update
" Roy’s out, which is unfortunate, he’s not recovered from the ankle injury he picked up on Saturday. It’s not a serious one. If the game had been on Wednesday he would have had a chance of making the game. I could keep him on standby on the bench tomorrow. There is a doubt about Mikael Silvestre, which we will check on in the morning, if need be Roy will be on the bench. Obviously Paul Scholes is still out. Other than that, all the rest are fit."
Scholes in for surgery?
" There is no decision yet. We are trying to come to terms with the best step forward. Having had the two hernia operations in the past, there is a consideration that there will be a longer recovery. So, we are still contemplating the best route forward. We won’t delay too long because time is running out for the lad himself."
Dealing with injuries
" It’s similar to last season in that we have one or two players out. We have Wes Brown out, and that is why I am hopeful Mikael Silvestre will be fit. But our form has been consistent – that’s important. European nights are different, and we realise a good start will be very important in this section of the tournament. It’s a section I don’t think we can take any chances with. We need to avoid any shocks because it is that type of group."
Champions League changes
" Only having one group stage condenses the tournament a bit, it means four less games and the first group stage takes on a far greater significance. Obviously we want to be in that last sixteen. My philosophy has always been to get ten points in the group stage – ten points will get us there. It should add a bit of spice into the first group stage."
Follow United in the Champions League
Last year’s squad not strong enough?
" I don’t think we were terribly short. If you score five goals over two legs in a quarter final, you could perhaps expect to be playing in a semi final, simple as that. We lost some soft goals in Madrid, which we would rather not have. If we had maintained the defensive strength we showed for most of last season, I think we would have gone on to the next stage."
Tough competition
" One of ten teams could easily win this tournament. There are so many teams with a history and tradition of European success. Ajax have won it four times, AC Milan several times, Bayern Munich four times, ourselves twice. And that is even before you get to Real Madrid, who have won it nine times – you know that any of these clubs could with this tournament. There are so many big teams in there."
Responding to Ronaldo diving criticism
" I’ve seen some of the tackles after the game, and I tell you one thing, Atlas would have gone down under some of those challenges."
The opposition
" We’ve been watching the videos of Panathinaikos for the last two days, and looking at their squad from the last time we met ( in 2000/01) they have kept most of the team there. We think the front three are very good players. Panathinaikos play good football, they have great experience in their team they have been in Europe many times, and have been to Old Trafford before. If you go back two years, they gave us a very tough time in Athens. I think we were very fortunate that night. It was probably one of the luckiest 1-1 draws of all time. We remember these things. It’s not a matter of us ignoring them, it’s about remembering our past meetings with them, which were very good, tough games."
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