Defensive duo miss Ibrox clash

Published Nov. 23, 2010 1:52 p.m. ET

foxsports

Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic will both miss Manchester United's Champions League trip to Rangers on Wednesday night.

Although the central defensive duo trained at Carrington on Tuesday morning, neither were part of Sir Alex Ferguson's squad for the Battle of Britain clash at Ibrox.

With a Premier League meeting with in-form Blackburn looming on Saturday and a Carling Cup quarter-final at West Ham next Tuesday, Ferguson has opted to give both men a rest, believing his squad are capable of gaining the point required to secure qualification for the knock-out phase without them.

Chris Smalling and Jonny Evans, who has not featured since the Carling Cup win over Wolves in October, are expected to deputise.

In addition, Darren Fletcher also sits out the return to Scotland.

Although he has had a heavy workload recently, Fletcher would have relished an outing for United north of the border.

Darron Gibson and Gary Neville were the other notable absentees from training on Tuesday morning as United stayed at Carrington for their final session ahead of their short flight to Glasgow.

Ryan Giggs took part in training and Wayne Rooney is expected to make his first start since the Premier League visit to Bolton at the beginning of last month.