Sir Alex Ferguson has chosen to rest most of his first-choice starting eleven for the second leg of Manchester United's Champions League semifinal against Schalke 04. It's hard not to blame him - United are at home and defending a 2-0 lead against a relatively weak side. About the only two players in the side who have regularly been making starts for the team lately are veteran goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar and Portuguese winger Nani. Elsewhere, the changes are vast.
Manchester United Vs. Schalke 04, 2011 UEFA Champions League Semifinal: United Lineup
Rafael da Silva starts at left back, with Chris Smalling and Johnny Evans the centre half pairing. John O'Shea captains the side from right back. Ferguson has opted for a midfield trio of Darron Gibson, Paul Scholes, and Anderson, and they'll be supporting Dimitar Berbatov, flanked by Nani to the left and Antonio Valencia to the right. There are a few impact substitutes as well - Javier Hernandez and Nemanja Vidic lurk on the bench should the game need rescuing.
Manchester United (4-3-3): Edwin van der Sar; Rafael da Silva, Chris Smalling, Johnny Evans, John O’Shea; Darron Gibson, Anderson, Paul Scholes; Nani, Dimitar Berbatov, Antonio Valencia.
Substitutes: Tomasz Kuszczak, Patrice Evra, Michael Owen, Ryan Giggs, Javier Hernandez, Nemanja Vidic, Darren Fletcher.
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