Trio Fit For Pompey

Now you may forgive me, but I'm gloating about how clever I was. I've told you before the Copenhagen game that I would not be surprised to see Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs in the starting line-up against Portsmouth. Louis Saha was admittedly rested but these two were said to be injured - and now they are fit again to be considered for the starting eleven of tomorrow's clash.

Sir Alex Ferguson told the official website that he is prepared to field the same team that destroyed Bolton on the other day. Cheers, boss, I think we are all happy about that. And I must say I'm delighted that our experienced trio was rested - it was a real disgrace to lose in Copenhagen but if that was the price of keeping Gary and Giggsy fit and sharp, then so be it. The league is much more important as we have to win as many matches as possible while in the Champions League it's enough to scrape through, claiming first place of the group in the process if we can manage it.

The Celtic game is now a massive one (as Neil Lennon so rightly said) but we are well equipped to get the draw we need to advance. In the league, draws are great disappointments so there we must go for a win - as we did at Bolton at such a devastating effect.

It's really annoying, though to lose Solskjaer for three weeks. He was in good form, and anyway, the team always need three fully fit strikers as I don't consider Alan Smith one of those yet. I hope he'll soon be back to his best, we need him just as we need Park Ji-sung but the little Korean is out until Christmas - that's one of the reasons why Giggs is treated with such an excessive care.

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