PCB comes up with another 'STUPID' policy

Karachi: Yet, Another 'STUPID' policy by PCB they have passed on laws which no other board or any other sports board restricts the players to use social networking.People suggests that PCB should concentrate on improving cricket rather than passing on stupid laws.


Two members of the national team, pacer Wahab Riaz and middle-order batsman Asad Shafiq were severely reprimanded by the Pakistan Cricket Board for using a social networking site during the ongoing tour of the West Indies.

A PCB official confirmed that the two players were reprimanded by the team management in the West Indies for using Twitter.

According to details, Riaz and Shafiq violated their central contract terms by posting tweets.

"Wahab (Riaz) had even posted some pictures of the Pakistan team bus on the social networking site which have now been removed," a PCB source said.

Under the new terms of the central contract, the PCB has strictly prohibited players from using social networking sites on tours.

"Since it was their first offence they were reprimanded but if they do it again they will face heavy fines and may be suspension from some matches," the source said.

Riaz and Shafiq have been the leading performers for Pakistan so far in the series.

The PCB has included some strong clauses in the new central contracts that carry heavy fines and bans for players who violate the code that prohibits them from speaking to the media without permission, entering into endorsement contracts without permission, breaking curfew hours on tours, signing up with agents without approval of the board etc

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMI-FINAL PREVIEW: REAL MADRID v BARCELONA

El Clasico. Champions League semi-final. Santiago Bernabeu. Do I need to say anymore? The whole football universe will watch with hypnotic fixation the action that is about to unfold over the two legs between these two giants of the game. Real Madrid and Barcelona have contested two Clasicos over the past ten days but neither can come close to the gravitas of the game on Wednesday night as the two sides fight for a place in the final at Wembley.

The La Liga game last weekend ended in a 1-1 draw while the Copa Del Rey final went Madrid's way after a dramatic extra-time goal by Cristiano Ronaldo. The last time these two sides contested a Champions League semi-final was in 2002, when Real Madrid beat Barca 3-1 on aggregate to make it to the final at Glasgow, where Zinedine Zidane scored an iconic goal to dispatch Bayer Leverkusen and help Madrid win their record 9th European Cup.

Real Madrid

A much changed Madrid side hammered Valencia 6-3 on Saturday as they geared up for the game on Wednesday in the grandest of manners. The bigger victory came a few days earlier, when they sealed a morale boosting win at the Mestalla to capture their first Copa Del Rey trophy since 1993. Mourinho deployed ultra-defensive tactics in a bid to stop Barca pillaging and it worked to perfection as they frustrated the Catalans for most of the game. The Special One is expected to change his tactics for the two-legged affair as he seeks to take a healthy advantage to the Nou Camp in a week's time.

The concerns for Madrid lie in the suspensions department where Ricardo Carvalho is suspended for the game after picking up his 3rd yellow card of the campaign while Ronaldo, Raul Albiol, Sergi Ramos and Angel Di Maria are all one booking away from a suspension. But Madrid will welcome Pepe back into the side after Brazilian served his one-match suspension in the last round against Tottenham Hotspur. The hero from the 1st leg against Spurs, Emmanuel Adebayor, is out with an abductor injury while Sami Khedira is also expected to miss the game with the same problem.

The one positive note for Madrid has been the return of Kaka and Gonzalo Higuain as the duo scored five of the six goals against Valencia on Saturday. The likes of Karim Benzema and Mesut Ozil might keep them out of the starting line up for the two games, but their presence on the bench surely gives Madrid a huge advantage when things need to be turned around.

Barcelona

The Catalans responded to the Copa Del Rey loss in mid-week with a pedantic 2-0 victory over Osasuna on Saturday as Pep Guardiola rang in the changes. Unsurprisingly, the headlines were stolen by Lionel Messi as he became the first player in the history of Spanish football to score 50 goals in a season. In addition to being the top scorer in La Liga, the little magician is also at the top of the charts in the Champions League, where he has nine goals to his name so far. Guardiola was also relived to have his main centre forward back among the goals, David Villa ending his 11-game goal drought against Osasuna.

Barca have a few injury worries in defence, where Adriano is out for rest of the season while Diego Milito had to be substituted on Saturday after picking up a calf strain. Maxwell played the ninety minutes in spite of suffering with a groin strain while Carles Puyol is still struggling with a hamstring injury. But they will welcome Andres Iniesta back into the side after the midfielder served his one-match suspension against Shakhtar Donetsk in the last round.

Barca do not have too many options on the bench and that could pose a problem, especially when frustrated by Madrid. But as we all know the standard starting eleven of Barca can pulverise any side in the world on their day and if anybody feels that the loss in the Copa Del Rey has made them weaker going into the tie, they don't need to look any further than the 5-0 trouncing of Madrid at the Nou Camp back in November.

Head-to-Head:

20 April, 2011: Real Madrid 1-0 Barcelona (Copa Del Rey)
16 April, 2011: Real Madrid 1-1 Barcelona

Form Guide:

Real Madrid: WWDWW

23 April, 2011: Valencia 3-6 Real Madrid
20 April, 2011: Real Madrid 1-0 Barcelona (Copa Del Rey)
16 April, 2011: Real Madrid 1-1 Barcelona
13 April, 2011: Tottenham 0-1 Real Madrid (Champions League)
9 April, 2011: Athletic Bilbao 0-3 Real Madrid

Barcelona: WLDWW

23 April, 2011: Barcelona 2-0 Osasuna
20 April, 2011: Real Madrid 1-0 Barcelona (Copa Del Rey)
16 April, 2011: Real Madrid 1-1 Barcelona
12 April, 2011: Shakhtar Donetsk 0-1 Barcelona (Champions League)
9 April, 2011: Barcelona 3-1 Almeria

Probable Line Ups:

Real Madrid (4-2-3-1): Casillas (Gk), Ramos, Pepe, Albiol, Marcelo, Alonso, Diarra, Di Maria, Ozil, Ronaldo, Benzema

The back four picks itself as centre-backs Pepe and Albiol will be protected by the full backs Ramos and Marcelo. Iker Casillas will be a huge presence in goal as Madrid will be keen to keep a clean sheet. With Khedira out injured, Lassana Diarra, who played the 90 minutes against Valencia, should slot into the defensive midfield position alongside Xabi Alonso. Ozil will be a vital link in the attacking third with Di Maria and Ronaldo bombing down the wings. Up front, Benzema is likely to be the lone striker.

Barcelona (4-3-3): Valdes (Gk), Alves, Pique, Puyol, Milito, Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Villa, Pedro

Guardiola doesn't have too many tough decisions to make in his team selection as the Messi, Villa and Pedro will occupy the front line with Xavi, Iniesta and Sergio Busquets covering the midfield positions. while Milito covers at left back. Alternatively, Dani Alves might move to left back with Puyol starting at right back.

Guru's Prediction: "REAL MADRID"

Indian Premier League 2011 (IPL) Game 30 : Delhi Vs Bangalore

Guru's Prediction: "Delhi Daredevils"

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMI-FINAL PREVIEW: FC Schalke 04 v Manchester United

Schalke and Manchester United will face off in the first game of their two-legged UEFA Champions League semi-final tie on Tuesday at the Veltins Arena for a spot in Europe's biggest club game of the season. The contest, certainly not seen as a battle of equals, pits a first time semi-finalist against a perennially consistent team, but despite that can very much go either way. Manchester United will certainly be favourites to play either one of the Spanish giants in the final after putting away domestic rivals Chelsea 3-1 in the quarters, but will have to be wary of the dangerous German side, who demolished current Champions League holders Inter Milan in the previous round 7-3. The meeting will be the first between the two sides, and it will be fascinating to see which team breaks, with Schalke boasting a 100% record at home, and the Red Devils yet to concede a goal on the road this season.





Schalke 04:

Gelsenkirchen will be the venue for Schalke's biggest home game of all time. The German side have defied all odds and played some brilliant football through the tournament to make it to the last four, and now arguably face their sternest test yet. A huge factor in Schalke's progress has been their home form, which though poor on the domestic circuit, has been brilliant in the Champions League, the German side having won each of five games at home with a combined score of 13-3. However, even with their success in Europe this season, a repeat of the same next season does not seem possible, with the team in 10th place in the Bundesliga. Their most recent game was a 1-0 loss at home against Kaiserslautern, with unhappy manager Ralf Rangnick saying that he will be ringing in the changes from that side when the club face Manchester United.

Champions League all-time highest scorer Raul Gonzales has been a huge influence for the side this year, and has a good record against Manchester United, having scored four goals in three games against the Red Devils in his time at Real Madrid. He has an explosive, young side around him, with Edu's finishing ability upfront, Jefferson Farfan's burst of pace and Jose Manuel Jurado's skill on the ball. The impetus for the side all season has been to attack, and they are unlikely to change that this Tuesday, leaving them susceptible at the back. They were dealt with a huge long-term blow this week when world-class goalkeeper Manuel Neuer announced that he wouldn't be extending his contract which expires in 2012, meaning that the club are almost surely going to offload him this off-season rather than see him leave on a Bosman when his contract expires.

The Royal Blues face German giants Bayern Munich at the weekend, following which they will travel to Manchester for the second leg of the tie, to be played at Old Trafford.

Manchester United:

The Red Devils are on course for a domestic title with their win at the weekend against Everton, and will now change their focus to the Champions League, where they are making their fourth semi-final appearance in the last five years. This kind of consistency over the last few years makes them favourites to win this tie and earn a spot in the finals of the competition to be played at Wembley. Manchester United have been solid if not spectacular in the Champions League this season, safely qualifying out of Group C, edging out French champions Olympique Marseille by the odd-goal and beating local rivals Chelsea both home and away to progress to the semis. They are still unbeaten in the competition, and go into the game having not conceded a goal on their travels.

Manchester United have not fared well against German opposition in the knockout rounds of the Champions League, having lost each of their four two-legged ties against Bundesliga teams, a curse they will want to reverse this time around. They are close to having a full-strength team, with players peaking at the right time, none more so than Mexican striker Javier Hernandez. It is a measure of how well Chicharito has done in his debut season that he is keeping the club's top goalscorer for the season Dimitar Berbatov out of the first team week in week out, and is justifying his place in the side, scoring yet another crucial winner at the weekend against Everton. However, with Sir Alex Ferguson sometimes preferring a more compact 4-5-1 formation against continental opposition, Wayne Rooney, who has had a huge resurgence himself, might lead the line on his own. It will also be crucial for United to keep tabs on the multi-faceted attack of the Schalke team, with a goal likely to come sometime, knowing the Royal Blues' weakness at the back.

The Red Devils, like Schalke, have a blockbuster weekend fixture away at Emirates against Arsenal to look forward to, where a win can seal the deal in terms of their Premier League ambitions. Following that will be their home leg against Schalke at Old Trafford.

Form Guide:

Schalke (LDWWW)

23 Apr '11 : Schalke 0 - 1 1. FC Kaiserslautern
16 Apr '11 : Werder Bremen 1 - 1 Schalke
13 Apr '11 : Schalke 2 - 1 Internazionale (Champions League)
9 Apr '11 : Schalke 1 - 0 VfL Wolfsburg
5 Apr '11 : Internazionale 2 - 5 Schalke (Champions League)

Manchester United (WDLWW)

23 Apr '11 : Manchester United 1 - 0 Everton
19 Apr '11 : Newcastle United 0 - 0 Manchester United
16 Apr '11 : Manchester City 1 - 0 Manchester United (FA Cup)
12 Apr '11 : Manchester United 2 - 1 Chelsea (Champions League)
9 Apr '11 : Manchester United 2 - 0 Fulham

Predicted Line-Ups:

Schalke (4-4-2) - Neuer, Howedes, Metzelder, Sarpei, Uchida, Matip, Papadopoulos, Jurado, Farfan, Raul, Edu

Manager Rangnick is likely to completely change his quartet of midfielders from their weekend's fixture, with Kyriakos Papadopoulos, Joel Matip, Jefferson Fanfan and Jose Jurado all expected to line-up against Manchester United. 71-time Champions League goalscorer Raul is likely to play off lead striker Edu, with full backs Atsuto Uchida and Hans Sarpei expected to bomb down the flanks at every given opportunity. Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer has made his intentions to leave clear, and though he will be played for the rest of the season, it will be interesting to see the reception he gets from the vociferous home fans.

Manchester United (4-4-2) - Van der Sar, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, O'Shea, Carrick, Giggs, Park, Valencia, Hernandez, Rooney

Manchester United rested skipper Nemanja Vidic in their weekend's fixture and will line up with either veteran Rio Ferdinand if the center-half is fit enough to play two games in the space of four days, or Chris Smalling, who has been deputising for the oft-injured Ferdinand throughout the season. Patrice Evra was also a second half substitute at the weekend, and will resume his duties at left-back, with Sir Alex to choose between John O'Shea and Rafael da Silva at right-back. Ryan Giggs has been playing in the center of midfield recently, and might play in that position over Paul Scholes and Anderson, with Michael Carrick expected to take one place in midfield. Big-match man Park Ji-Sung will again be involved in a high-profile game, while in attack, Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez have recently struck a good partnership and are almost certain to play in tandem, unless Sir Alex decides to play with a more defensive 4-5-1 formation. Dimitar Berbatov, who has been warming the bench recently, is ruled out of the trip with a groin injury, while Darren Fletcher is back in training, but this game is likely to come too early for the Scotsman.

Guru's Prediction:  "MANCHESTER UNITED"

Real Madrid Vs Barcelona Match Preview

Some Facts :-

• Real Madrid have only ever won when they've taken the lead in La Liga action this term.

• The Bernabeu club tend to be quick starters when they play home Clasicos; registering in the opening 15 minutes of four of the last six.

• This season, Madrid have proven the best team offensively in the league in the early stages of games, striking 11 times in the opening quarter of an hour.

• Spanish players account for only two goals scored by Jose Mourinho’s men in league action this season (Sergio Ramos vs. Athletic Bilbao and Esteban Granero vs. Almeria).

• The 31-time Spanish kings have conceded the fewest left-footed goals in the Primera Division this season (three), and also the fewest goals from set pieces (three).

• Barcelona have won their last five matches against Madrid, representing their best sequence of results against the nine-time European champions.

• Pedro is the only player to have scored in each of the last two fixtures between the sides, while Lionel Messi has registered in his last two matches at the Bernabeu.

• Pep Guardiola’s side have scored fewer headed goals in the Primera Division than all of their rivals, barring Espanyol and Getafe, but they have scored more than any other team from outside the box (14).

• The opening 15 minutes of matches has proven kind to the visitors this season; they’ve yet to concede during that time-frame.

Four games; 18 days; three competitions. Those are the specs for Real Madrid and Barcelona, two of soccer's fiercest rivals, who will be going head-to-head again and again and again between now and the end of the season, with everything at stake.

Forget the histrionics; forget Lluís Companys versus Generalísimo Franco; forget Catalan nationalism versus the Spanish state. Between now and May 3, these two sides will be getting enough hate on for each other without going through the layers of politics that inevitably define the Clasico. Three trophies are up for grabs, and where they end up will be determined by which team wins the upcoming four-part mini-series.

It all begins today at Madrid's Bernebau stadium. Their La Liga rivals long left in their collective dust, Real Madrid and Barcelona were always going to finish the season in first and second place, as they have in each of the past two campaigns. And while the Catalan side holds an eight-point lead atop the standings coming into the match, a victory for the hosts would cut the gap to five points.

Still, the six league games remaining are likely not enough for Madrid to make up the ground. This championship is Barcelona's to lose, and it would take a collapse of epic proportions for that to happen. As a result, Madrid will be more concerned with the next three matches against their archrivals -- the final of the Copa del Rey, and the two-legged semifinal of the Champions League.

They'll be desperate to win the latter competition, in particular. After a string of exits at the first hurdle in the knockout stage, Madrid shellacked historical banana skin Olympique Lyon in the Round of 16 before easing past Tottenham Hotspur in the quarter-finals. All the while, they continued what would have been a record-breaking two-year run in La Liga were it not for Barcelona's exceptional form.

In any other league, in any other era, 24 wins from 31 matches and 72 goals scored to only 22 conceded would have you comfortably atop the table. Not so in La Liga, however, where Barcelona have lost only once, notched 85 goals and allowed just 16. It's mind-bending, really, thinking about what the Blaugrana have done this season.

That Madrid have so much as kept within reach of their rivals is an achievement in and of itself, but second place doesn't cut it in the Spanish capital, and manager Jose Mourinho has surely been planning his strategy for the pair of Champions League semifinal matches, which will be played on April 27 and May 3.

Today's match, and Wednesday's Copa del Rey final, will effectively be trial runs for Mourinho and his players--glorified training sessions for battle to come 11 days from now. They'll be studying their opponents, observing their tendencies and learning how to handle them. They might try different formations.

Mourinho, of course, knocked Barcelona out of the Champions League as manager of Inter Milan exactly a year ago. Then, like now, his side played the first leg at home before traveling to Camp Nou. And now, like then, he'll want to take an advantage into hostile territory.

After beating the Catalans 3-1 at the San Siro last April, his side successfully absorbed the inevitable Barcelona pressure in the second leg and escaped with a 3-2 win on aggregate. Mourinho is an expert as these two-legged affairs, and the two chances he has to examine his foe in the next few days will only aid his preparations.

Guru's Prediction:  "The Draw"

Manchester City Vs Manchester United FA Cup Semi Final Preview

SOME FACTS :-

• Manchester United has won its last seven games in a row in all competitions.

• Today's match is expected to be the highest ever attendance for a Manchester derby, with a 90,000 sell-out crowd beating the previous best of 78,000 recorded in 1947 at Maine Road.

• Legendary Manchester United manager Sir Matt Busby played on the losing side of both an FA Cup semi-final and FA Cup final before winning the Cup for Manchester City in 1934.

• City have won the FA Cup four times, in 1904, 1934, 1956 and 1969, and last appeared in the final in 1981.

• Roberto Mancini's side have not won a major domestic trophy in 35 years, with their last silverware being the 1976 League Cup.

• In contrast, Manchester United have won the FA Cup 11 times, five of those successes coming under Sir Alex Ferguson's watch.

• Ryan Giggs is the most decorated player in English football's history, having won the Premier League 11 times, the FA Cup four times, the League Cup three times and the Champions League twice.

• Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko has failed to score in nine Premier League appearances since his January move from Wolfsburg but has scored twice in the FA Cup, both against Notts County.

• The two sides have met 157 times in all competitions, with the red half of Manchester picking up 65 wins to the blue's 42, and City have won only two of their six encounters in the FA Cup.

• The last time the teams met in this competition was in February 2004, when Gary Neville was sent off in a Cristiano Ronaldo and Ruud van Nistelrooy inspired 4-2 rout at Old Trafford.

The Build-Up

A whole metropolis will descend onto Wembley Way on Saturday as a cross-town rivalry is played out on the neutral territory of London's Wembley Stadium. The animosity between Manchester United and Manchester City has increased manifold ever since the oil barons from the Middle-East flew in to catapult the Eastlands club into the limelight back in 2008. The gulf in class between the two clubs has gradually decreased in that period but City still have a lot to do before they can claim to be on the same level as their neighbours. You don't have to look any further than the current situation where United are edging to an incredible treble while City are holding onto the final Champions League spot with dear life.

United have a 5-2 edge in FA Cup meetings between the two sides, but City fans will point towards the fact that all of the Red Devils' wins came on home turf. Surprisingly, the two sides have never met at Wembley, but they did contest a semi-final at Bramall Lane way back in 1926, with City emerging victorious 3-0. The two teams faced off in an enthralling Carling Cup semi-final last season when an injury time Wayne Rooney goal handed United a 4-3 win on aggregate. There is no love lost between these two sides and with an FA Cup final up for grabs, a real battle can be expected on Saturday.

Manchester City

The Blues are in the midst of a mini-crisis following their 3-0 hammering at the hands of Liverpool earlier this week. Tottenham Hotspur now have the chance to draw level with City in 4th place if they win their game in hand. To add insult to injury, City also lost their talismanic captain Carlos Tevez to a hamstring injury at Anfield on Monday and Roberto Mancini on Thursday confirmed that the striker will be out for up to four weeks. There was one positive news on the injury front as Micah Richards has returned to full training earlier than expected.

The FA Cup offers the under-fire Mancini a last chance of redemption and more importantly offers City a great chance to finally end their 35 year trophy drought. In fact, the game on Saturday will be City's first FA Cup semi-final since 1981 and what better way to mark the occasion than by defeating the side that you aim to overtake. But one must wonder as to where the goals are going to come from in the absence of Tevez. The support cast of Mario Balotelli, Edin Dzeko and Jo have a combined total of 17 goals between them, five goals less than Tevez's tally of 22.

The side have picked up points against the lower sides but have struggled against established opponents, especially away from home. In fact, they haven't registered an away victory in the Premier League since overturning Newcastle 3-1 at St.James' Park on Boxing Day. A loss on Saturday might deflate the whole side and have further repercussions in the League. The 4th and final Champions League spot is still up for grabs and with Spurs still to visit the City of Manchester Stadium, the Blue half of Manchester cannot afford to lose its nerve at this vital stage of the season.

Manchester United

The Red Devils are riding high on confidence after they brushed aside Chelsea 3-1 over two legs in the Champions League. The Red Devils were at their composed best against the Blues, with all their big game players coming to the fore at the right time. With a place in the Champions League semi-final now secure, they turn their attention towards the third trophy in their quest of the treble, the FA Cup. The eleven time winners haven't won the trophy since 2004 and are long overdue a good cup run.

United will of course be without Wayne Rooney for the game, as he is sidelined with a two-game suspension for the outburst at Upton Park. It's a blow for the striker who, in the past few weeks, has begun to regain the confidence of old. United have plenty of cover in that department though with Dimitar Berbatov, Javier Hernandez and Michael Owen all fighting for places. With the arrival of Hernandez, United finally have a forward who can stretch opposition defences with his pace, something they have clearly lacked since the departure of a certain Cristiano Ronaldo. It's no coincidence that the side have come into its own over the past month with Hernandez as a regular starter, thus allowing Rooney, Ryan Giggs and Michael Carrick to strike form at the right time.

United have a maximum of eleven games remaining in the season, with blockbuster ties against Arsenal and Chelsea in the League, a Champions League semi-final against Schalke and the possibility of two final appearances at Wembley. Sir Alex Ferguson might tone down the talk of a treble but the fact that United are even in the running for trophies on three fronts during a transitional season is a testament to the club, manager and players.

Head-to-Head:

12th Feb, 2011: Man Utd 2-1 Man City
10th Nov, 2010: Man City 0-0 Man Utd

Form Guide:

Manchester City: LWLWW

11th April, 2011: Liverpool 3-0 Man City
3rd April, 2011: Man City 5-0 Sunderland
20th March, 2011: Chelsea 2-0 Man City
17th March, 2011: Man City 1-0 Dynamo Kiev (Europa League)
13th March, 2011: Man City 1-0 Reading (FA Cup)

Manchester United: WWWWW

12th April, 2011: Man Utd 2-1 Chelsea (Champions League)
9th April, 2011: Man Utd 2-0 Fulham
6th April, 2011: Chelsea 0-1 Man Utd (Champions League)
2nd April, 2011: West Ham 2-4 Man Utd
19th March, 2011: Man Utd 1-0 Bolton

Probable Line Ups:

Manchester City (4-3-3): Hart (Gk), Richards, Kompany, Lescott, Kolarov, Yaya Toure, Barry, De Jong, Johnson, Dzeko, Silva

Mancini is expected to line up in a typically circumspect formation with the three holding midfielders protecting the back four. Joe Hart will have a busy day in goal and so will the full backs, Micah Richards and Aleksandar Kolarov. Vincent Kompany has been inspirational in central defence and he should be partnered by Jolean Lescott. Gareth Barry and Nigel de Jong will play the deepest in midfield with Yaya Toure expected to make the odd foray into the opponent's box. David Silva is a vital player in a creative sense and he should start down the left with Adam Johnson and James Milner fighting for the right midfield slot. Up front, Balotelli can be a threat but its unlikely that Mancini will trust the petulant striker for such a big occasion, so expect Dzeko to play as the lone striker.

Manchester United (4-4-2): Van der Sar (Gk), Rafael, Vidic, Smalling, Evra, Valencia, Carrick, Scholes, Nani, Berbatov, Hernandez

Sir Alex has a very strong squad of players to choose from as he is bound to make changes to his line up following the travails of the Champions League game. Edwin van der Sar has struggled with injuries recently and was safeguarded for the Chelsea games by being rested for the League games, but the tall Dutchman should be fit enough to guard the goal on Saturday with Thomasz Kuszczak the back up keeper. Rafael da Silva was expected to make a comeback for the game on Tuesday but the Brazilian didn't resume to full training in time for the game, but should be ready for Wembley on Saturday.

Elsewhere in defence, Rio Ferdinand struggled with a thigh injury during the game against Chelsea and might be rested for this one, with Chris Smalling expected to partner Nemanja Vidic in the centre. United have been hampered by the absence of Darren Fletcher through a viral infection, so Paul Scholes is expected to come in alongside the imperious Carrick. Nani and Valencia provide Sir Alex with plenty of options down the wings with Berbatov and Chicharito the expected combination up front. If Sir Alex decides to go with five in midfield, Anderson or Ji Sung Park can come in for one of the strikers.

Guru's Prediction : "MANCHESTER UNITED"

Indian Premier League 2011 (IPL) Game 11

Deccan Chargers Vs Royal Challengers Bangalore 


Guru's Prediction : "Bangalore"