Manchester United's season could hardly be described as vintage, yet it remains on course for a treble and its latest slice of luck means it meets an injury-hit Olympique Marseille in the Champions League.

The Premier League leader has rarely hit top form this term, as proved when an albeit largely second string toiled to beat minor league Crawley Town 1-0 in an edgy FA Cup fifth-round tie on Saturday.

French champion Marseille is its next obstacle in the last-16 first-leg clash at the Stade Velodrome on Wednesday when striker Andre-Pierre Gignac will be missing after injuring his groin in Saturday's 2-1 win over St. Etienne.

Fellow forwards Brandao and Loic Remy suffered twisted ankles but coach Didier Deschamps hopes they can be fit to play United, who continues to struggle for fluency.

Crawley almost equalized on Saturday when hitting the bar in stoppage time and it needed Wayne Rooney's stunning overhead kick to seal a 2-1 win over Manchester City in its last Premier League game.

Rooney's poor general form underlines how United has stuttered, but as manager Alex Ferguson is always happy to point out, his team tends to hit its stride in the last third of the season.

"I have been to watch games at Marseille quite a few times and the atmosphere the supporters create at their ground is terrific," Ferguson said.

"It won't be easy going over there but I think we have a good chance of qualifying."

Brazilian trio Anderson and the Da Silva twins suffered minor injuries against Crawley and could be doubtful for Wednesday when Ferguson is likely to make a raft of changes. Rio Ferdinand and Park Ji-sung are set to miss out through injury but Michael Owen hopes to be fit.

Patrice Evra will also relish the trip to the south of France, the ex-Monaco defender having signed a contract extension with United that will run until the end of the 2013-14 season.

Reuters

(China Daily 02/23/2011 page22)