CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Giggs on Bench for Juventus Clash
Copyright � 1999 Nando Media
Copyright � 1999 Agence France-Presse
TURIN, Italy (April 20, 1999 1:31 p.m. EDT http://www.sportserver.com) - Ryan Giggs will be Manchester United's super-sub again Juventus in the the European Champions' Cup semifinal second leg clash on Wednesday.
Giggs is unlikely to start the match because he is still troubled by his ankle injury but United manager Alex Ferguson hopes the winger will recover sufficiently to figure in the match at some stage.
"Not bad," was Giggs' assessment of his fitness as he walked with a slight limp into Manchester Airport before flying to Turin.
Not bad is good for United, with Ferguson mindful of how Giggs came off the bench with such devastating effect against Arsenal a week ago when he scored 'that goal', which booked United's place in the FA Cup final.
That goal has made Juventus even more wary of the one United player they fear above all others - Giggs scored against them at Old Trafford.
Ferguson would love to have the option of bringing him on for the last half hour or so, if only for the psychological value.
"Ryan is a problem for us and we don't know for certain if he will make it," admitted Ferguson.
Whether or not Giggs plays, Ferguson is still confident his United players can score in Turin's Stadio Delle Alpi to transform the tie.
United need to find the back of the net at least once after drawing the first leg 1-1 at Old Trafford.
But instead of his forward line, Ferguson feels his defense holds the passport to United's first Champions' League final in 31 years.
"We are capable of scoring away from home and Juventus know that," he said. "That part I'm certain about and the second part is the one that may decide it for us and that's how well we defend."
The omens do not favor United and they have lost all four of their previous visits to Juventus.
Arsenal are the only English side to beat them in Turin and Juve have lost just seven times at home in nearly 150 European games while they are unbeaten at the Stadio Delle Alpi in Europe for nearly four years.
Depressing reading for any United fan, and Ferguson knows it will take a Herculean effort to reach the final in Barcelona on May 26.
However Ferguson feels his treble chasers, unbeaten in 1999, go into the showdown in great shape.
"Going into a big game like this you want two things in your favor - form and player availability," he said.
