While his starting place is uncertain, David Beckham's mere
presence at Old Trafford could boost AC Milan's attempts to
overturn a 3-2 deficit against Manchester United in the Champions
League.
Unusually, United's home fans will warmly embrace an
opposition player.
The 34-year-old Beckham hasn't played a club match at Old
Trafford since his acrimonious departure in 2003 and United
midfielder Paul Scholes believes the home fans will be pleased to
see him again.
"United fans still love him for what he did for this club and
he will get a fantastic ovation," said Scholes, who graduated into
the United first-team alongside Beckham in the 1990s. "He will need
to be watched though. If you give him time and room on the ball
there is no doubt he will pick players out. From free-kicks as
well, his delivery is as great as ever."
With such encouraging words, it's little wonder that Beckham
isn't apprehensive about returning to the club that helped him win
six Premier League titles and a Champions League.
"I'm not nervous, I'm happy because for the first time after
seven years I will return to Manchester and go on the pitch,"
Beckham said. "If I play on Wednesday, I won't be frightened, but I
will be excited in any case because I played in that stadium for
many years and I know what it means to be a Manchester United
player."
Beckham is on loan at Milan from the Los Angeles Galaxy until
the end of the season and his hopes of reaching the Champions
League quarterfinals were helped by Clarence Seedorf reducing the
first-leg deficit with a late goal two weeks ago.
Milan had led through Ronaldinho's early goal, but Scholes
leveled with a fortuitous strike before Wayne Rooney grabbed two
more for the Premier League leaders.
Rooney - the team's top scorer this season with 28 - trained
Tuesday morning after missing United's league win over
Wolverhampton on Saturday with a knee injury.
Milan also looks set to have striker Alexandre Pato and
Seedorf back in the team after they missed the 0-0 draw at AS Roma
on Saturday.
"We don't fear any team in the world, not even Manchester
United," Milan president Silvio Berlusconi said. "On the contrary,
it's the others who must fear us."
United, though, has never been eliminated in Europe after
winning an away first-leg and has reached the last two Champions
League finals, winning against Chelsea on penalties but losing last
year to Barcelona.
