Ancelotti alert to United threat

AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti needs no reminder that Manchester United, Tuesday’s Champions League opponents, are capable of winning a...

AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti needs no reminder that Manchester United, Tuesday’s Champions League opponents, are capable of winning against the odds in Italy. Six years ago Ancelotti was coach of the Juventus side who earned a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford only to lose the second leg of their semi-final 3-2 in Turin.

Milan beat United 1-0 in Manchester but Ancelotti is taking nothing for granted. ‘‘We know the job is only half done’’, he said.

United manager Alex Ferguson says victory over Milan would be an even greater achievement than the upset at the Delle Alpi. Caution and cool defending are likely to be Milan’s watchwords at the San Siro. Ancelotti’s team know a draw would be enough to see them through although the coach insists that will not mean a negative approach.

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On Tuesday, striker Filippo Inzaghi is set to start on the bench, a boost for Ancelotti who is likely to be without Ukrainian Andriy Shevchenko after suffering a fractured cheekbone last month.

For United, Ruud van Nistelrooy is still short of full match fitness and so Wayne Rooney will probably be given the nod to start in attack against Maldini and Alessandro Nesta. Ferguson will re-shuffle his defence after Gary Neville was ruled out by an ankle injury, his place at right back probably going to Wes Brown with France’s Mikael Silvestre slotting into the middle.