Doubts over Louis Saha

Manchester United striker Louis Saha is nearing a complete recovery from injury, but manager Sir Alex Ferguson may decide not to risk playing the Frenchman against Roma on Wednesday.

Manchester United striker Louis Saha is nearing a complete recovery from injury, but manager Sir Alex Ferguson may decide not to risk playing the Frenchman against Roma on Wednesday.

Saha has been sidelined for the past five weeks with a hamstring injury but has now pulled through and is thought to be fit enough to sit on the bench for United's Champions League quarter final clash in Rome.

But with a packed fixture list from now until the end of the season, Ferguson is believed to prefer to err on the side of caution, and Saha is set to be left behind in Manchester as the Premiership leaders jet off to the Italian capital.

Should Saha stay, he will continue his programme to achieve match fitness in a reserve game against Blackburn on Thursday, leaving him ready for selection for the weekend's clash with Portsmouth.

With United still chasing silverware on three fronts, fixtures are piling up for Ferguson's side, and the clash with Pompey is closely followed by the return leg against Roma at Old Trafford next Wednesday.

In Saha's continued absence, Ferguson is likely to deploy Ole Gunnar Solskajer in an attacking partnership with Wayne Rooney after the Norwegian made a successful return to action from injury with a goal in Saturday's 4-1 win over Bolton.