Park ruled out of Roma trip

Ji-sung Park was the only unexpected absentee as United departed Manchester for Wednesday night's Champions League quarter-final first leg in Roma.

The South Korean midfielder was not in the travelling party - he has a minor knee injury but should be available for selection when the Reds travel to Portsmouth on Saturday.

The better news is that Louis Saha and Darren Fletcher have flown to Italy. Sir Alex Ferguson had hinted that the pair would feature for the Reserves on Thursday night in order to gain match fitness, but they will instead bolster the senior squad in Rome.

Despite Saha and Fletcher's inclusion, the squad is still a far cry from the bulging ranks which travelled to France for the second round clash with Lille in February.

Only four defenders have travelled - John O'Shea, Wes Brown, Rio Ferdinand and Gabriel Heinze. Patrice Evra is still sidelined, alongwith Gary Neville, Mikael Silvestre and the latest injury victim, Nemanja Vidic.

United's squad to face AS Roma: Van der Sar, Kuszczak, Heaton, O'Shea, Brown, Ferdinand, Heinze, Ronaldo, Scholes, Carrick, Fletcher, Eagles, Giggs, Richardson, Rooney, Saha, Solskjaer, Smith, Dong.