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UEFA Champions League: Man U face South Americans out for revenge [Tue Sep 13th, 2005]
London (AFP) - Two South American players who flopped in the English Premiership are set to send Manchester United crashing in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday.
Uruguay's Diego Forlan, leading scorer in Europe last season with 25 goals after managing just 10 in 63 matches for United, and Luciano Figueroa, who had just one game for Birmingham in 2003-04 but is now on the fringes of the Argentine national team, are the Villarreal dangermen threatening United.
Villareal coach Manuel Pellegrini believes both players benefited from their stay in England.
"They did not get many chances, but the experience was good for them," he said.
Villareal, in Europe for the first time, knocked out Everton in the qualifying rounds but the English side complained afterwards Italian referee Pierluigi Collina unfairly penalised their aggressive strikers Duncan Ferguson and Marcus Bent.
Pellegrini, who believes you can win by playing attractive football, has recruited a handful of South Americans to give tiny Villarreal, whose population would not fill United's Old Trafford stadium, success.
"It's just a question of having good feet," he said.
Two of the best feet at the club belong to the slow but inventive Argentina international Juan Roman Riquelme, who is doubtful after spraining his ankle in Villarreal's 1-1 draw with Sevilla on Sunday.
"It's going to be very difficult for him, although we'll have to see how things progress on a day-by-day basis," said Pellegrini.
United manager Alex Ferguson will have skipper Roy Keane back after resting him for the 1-1 draw with Manchester City.
But Portugal winger Cristiano Ronaldo will not make the trip, following the death of his father last week.
Ronaldo missed Saturday's Manchester derby to attend the funeral in Portugal. He will remain in his homeland this week "until everything is sorted", according to Sir Alex.
Ferguson has told the 20-year-old winger to take as much time as he needs to be with his family after his father Dinis Aveiro, who had been ill for some time, died in hospital last Tuesday.
"I don't think Cristiano will be in the squad on Wednesday," said Ferguson. "We have just told him to be with his mother until everything is sorted.
The United manager added: "He will pick his own time when to come back."
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