Sir Alex Ferguson set to drop FA Cup flops for Carling Cup semi-final with Manchester City

Sir Alex Ferguson is considering leaving out at least seven of the Manchester United players who led the Premier League champions to FA Cup humiliation against Leeds when he selects his team for tomorrow's Carling Cup semi-final at Manchester City.

 

The United manager insisted that "a lot of these players won't be playing on Wednesday" as he condemned the performance against the League One club which resulted in his first FA Cup defeat at the hands of lower league opponents.

 

Captain Gary Neville and £30.75 million forward Dimitar Berbatov are likely to make way for Rafael da Silva and Michael Owen at Eastlands. And Ferguson is also ready to overhaul his entire midfield by relegating Gabriel Obertan, Anderson, Darron Gibson and Danny Welbeck to the bench against Roberto Mancini's team.

 

With Patrice Evra due to return in place of Fabio da Silva, Ferguson is set to abandon his initial plan to field a youthful team at City by turning to senior figures such as Darren Fletcher, Antonio Valencia, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs.

 

There could be a further change in the centre of defence if Nemanja Vidic, who has emerged as a summer target for Real Madrid, proves his fitness after pulling out of the starting line-up against Leeds with a nerve problem exacerbated during the pre-match warm-up.

 

Ferguson had been reluctant to field his senior players against City, preferring to hand his emerging players further experience in the Carling Cup. The United manager staunchly defended his youngsters after seeing them beaten 1-0 by Besiktas in the Champions League in November. But the manner of Sunday's defeat against Leeds, which was as much down to the failure of experienced figures such as Neville and Berbatov, has prompted Ferguson and his coaching staff to revise their plans for City.