Five Manchester United stars auditioning for their place in the Champions League final

ANALYSIS
By Jonathan Birchall

When Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson revealed that he would be making changes to the side that lost to Arsenal for their second leg against Schalke, the ears of some members of his squad were certain to have pricked up.

Now, having spent a couple of days at their Carrington training ground focusing on how to ease past the German club, the pressure will be on those not yet with a cemented place in the Scot’s regular first XI to go out and impress at Old Trafford.

Of course, United are far too experienced in the challenges of the continent to be taking their tie against the Gelsenkirchen outfit for granted, but you wouldn’t blame Ferguson for having already thought about how to line up at Wembley against Barcelona come the end of the month.

With the club’s third Champions League final in four years beckoning, Goal.com takes a look at some of the players who will be desperate to impress against Ralf Rangnick’s men at the Theatre of Dreams.

It surely pays testament not only to the resurgence of Wayne Rooney, but also the emergence of Javier Hernandez that the Premier League’s leading goalscorer with 21 goals from only 23 starts, has fallen into third in the pecking order of United’s strikers.

It has, despite the Golden Boot that would appear to be coming his way, been a mixed year for the Bulgarian, with moments of magic – his hat-trick against Liverpool will resonate most clearly – interspersed between far too many anonymous performances.

Good, bad and at times ugly this year, the £30 million man will have to prove to Ferguson that he is still the sharp shooter of earlier in the season against the German side. Failure to do so is likely to see him absent from the team sheet at Wembley and the United squad next season.

If Berbatov’s situation seems cruelly unjust, then the same argument can certainly be made for Nani. The Portuguese star is for many Manchester United fans their undoubted player of the season, having finally stepped out of the shadow of compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo and into the Old Trafford limelight.

However, Ferguson’s justified trust in Park Ji-Sung and Ryan Giggs leaves Nani looking to the opposing flank as his most likely destination at Wembley but with Antonio Valencia having returned from a broken ankle with a freshness and vigour that defies belief, the former Sporting Lisbon man may have to overcome his doubters once again against Schalke if he is to prove himself on the highest stage come the end of May.

Having started at the Emirates on Sunday, it would appear that Ferguson is still willing to show a little faith in Anderson, despite what has been another thoroughly underwhelming season from the Brazilian. With only two spots in the XI potentially available to the former Porto man, a powerful performance at Old Trafford could just about put him in contention.

Bizarre, you’d think, considering those also vying for a spot in the middle but there would be some method to the madness. With the Red Devils set to come up against Barcelona at Wembley, his strength and power would be a far more potent weapon in firing down the waves of possession coming the way of United than, say, Michael Carrick.

That said, the Brazilian deputised for Darren Fletcher when United met the Catalan giants in the 2009 final. Needless to say, a much improved performance would be required if he is to help his side lift the famous trophy for the fourth time.

Equally unsure of both his place in midfield and his Old Trafford future is Paul Scholes, whose influence has been on the slide since the 2009 final in which Xavi and Andres Iniesta delivered a reminder of what the former England man used to be capable of doing with consummate, almost laughable ease.

However, his tendency to let the game get away from him and make ugly challenges to compensate has turned the midfield magician into something seemingly far more sinister. His sending off against Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final summed up the uglier part of Scholes’ game and suggested, almost tragically, that he has become a liability.

To write him off would be imprudent, especially when you consider that it was Scholes who hammered home to beat Pep Guardiola’s men only three years ago at Old Trafford. If he can prove to Fergie that his swan song can hit the right key and it would be little surprise to see him line up at Wembley.

Few will have expected the Ecuadorian to have been in contention to play any part in United’s run-in this season if they had seen the ankle break that left him sidelined for six months against Rangers at Old Trafford in the group stage. However, having returned to the side in late February, the winger has looked in unstoppable form.

Worth remembering is the Ecuadorian’s impact on Wayne Rooney, with the pair having combined lethally last season. If Ferguson wants to get the best out of his talismanic striker at Wembley, then starting Valencia is likely to be vital.

“I couldn’t have scored the amount of goals I have this season without him. He’s been great this year and the quality of balls he puts in the box for me has been unbelievable,” said Rooney of the winger at the end of last season. The decision as to whether it is Valencia or Nani who is given the nod for the final may well depend on who shines at Old Trafford on Wednesday. It is certainly an enviable selection headache for Ferguson.