PREVIEW: Wobble is over, says United boss Ferguson

Apr 6, 2009, 13:50 GMT

Manchester, England - Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is approaching Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final against Porto confident his side's mini-slump is over.

United struck twice in the final 10 minutes on Sunday to beat Aston Villa 3-2, a victory that returned them to the top of the Premier League and recalled the dramatic late rallies that characterised their Treble-winning season of 1999.

'We've had a blip but we've recovered and we're where we want to be at the top of the league,' Ferguson told MUTV.

'And through this result the season could change for us.'

Ferguson could have had the match switched to the Saturday, but preferred to give his players more time to recover from last week's international fixtures, leaving only 50 hours from the end of the game to kick-off against Porto.

Forward Wayne Rooney, midfielder Paul Scholes and centre-back Nemanja Vidic will be available to face Porto after suspension, but there are a host of other absentees.

Dimitar Berbatov will be unavailable for the first-leg match with an ankle injury, while defender Rio Ferdinand is doubtful after suffering a groin problem while on England duty.

'I don't think any of the injured players will be back on Tuesday,' Ferguson said.

'But we do have the suspended players back which is good. Vidic will play alongside Jonny Evans at the back with John O'Shea moving to right-back.

'Rooney and Scholes are also available which will give us a bit more penetration and experience, and Park Ji-Sung will also be ready so I've got some good options for Tuesday.'

Porto manager Jesualdo Ferreira, meanwhile, will welcome Colombia midfielder Freddy Guarin back from an ankle injury, but captain Pedro Emanuel and left back Nelson Benitez are ruled out with injury.

The Portuguese champions enjoyed a rather more straightforward victory on Saturday, beating Guimaraes 3-1 to maintain a four-point lead at the top of the table.

United are unbeaten in 21 European ties, and start as favourites, but Porto were similarly unfancied five years ago when they eliminated United in the last 16 en route to the title thanks to Costinha's last-minute goal at Old Trafford.

That prompted their then-manager Jose Mourinho's famous sprint of celebration along the touchline, something that still rankles at United.

'That was a tough one to take,' said O'Shea.

'Paul Scholes had a goal disallowed that was onside and the sight of Mourinho dancing down the touchline was not a happy one for many people. It is one of those things that we want to put to bed.'

Beating Mourinho's Inter Milan in the last round helped lay that demon; revenge over Porto would complete the task.