SEMI FINAL PREVIEW

BBC PREVIEW

Newcastle's Charles N'Zogbia has made an 11th-hour dash to Cardiff for Sunday's FA Cup semi-final after being told his shoulder is not fractured.

Newcastle have major doubts over Titus Bramble (groin), Jermaine Jenas (calf), Celestine Babayaro (hamstring) and Aaron Hughes (groin).

Manchester United winger Ryan Giggs has been ruled out with a hamstring injury.

Striker Louis Saha is out (calf) but midfielder Darren Fletcher (knee) travels to Cardiff.

Newcastle (from): Given, Harper, Caig, Carr, Babayaro, Hughes, Taylor, Elliott, Boumsong, O'Brien, Bramble, Ramage, Robert, Butt, Faye, Jenas, Milner, Ambrose, Shearer, Ameobi, Kluivert, N'Zogbia.

Man Utd (from): Howard, Carroll, G Neville, P Neville, Ferdinand, Brown, Silvestre, Heinze, O'Shea, Fletcher, Fortune, Ronaldo, Kleberson, Keane, Scholes, Miller, Van Nistelrooy, Smith, Rooney, Bellion.

Any prediction at the start of the season that a team from the North-West of England and one from London would contest a Champions League semi-final in April would have delighted the fans of Manchester United and Arsenal. All week, though, the two of them have watched like jilted partners - it should have been me - as local rivals eclipse them and they prepare for what have become, sadly, consolation semi-finals.

Arsenal's preparation for yesterday's FA Cup tie against Blackburn was at least low-key, with only daily bulletins about groin strains to concern them. For United, however, it was a week of distractions, if not quite turmoil. They reflect their geographical soaps - EastEnders is merely pottering along; Coronation Street is currently poignant and dramatic. It began for United with the feeble defeat at Norwich, after which two former players, Jimmy Greenhoff and Lou Macari, wondered on the club's in-house TV station MUTV why Sir Alex Ferguson was playing the newly trendy 4-5-1 when the success of the last decade has been achieved with 4-4-2. United, they agreed, should be associated with passion and panache. They have been plain dull of late. There followed the scent of another tap-up incident when Rio Ferdinand turned up for a meeting with his agent, Pini Zahavi, to find the Chelsea chief executive, Peter Kenyon, there. Like an embarrassed tabloid reporter of yore - such sensitive fellows - Ferdinand made his excuses and left. Despite Kenyon's denials of any wrongdoing, Ferguson remains fiercely critical. (It can, presumably, only add grist to the mill of the current inquiry into the tapping-up of Ashley Cole. Zahavi's role in it all must surely come under close scrutiny, and, even if the Premier League or FA believe they have one hand tied due to Zahavi being registered outside this country, should they find him culpable, they can surely recommend punishment to Uefa.)

Then the news broke that Wayne Rooney had been involved in a nightclub spat with his partner, Coleen, allegedly giving her a slap. Soon Roy Keane, who could surely get a job running His Master's Voice when football is over, was coming out and reminding team-mates of their duties and responsibilities. Next, it emerged that there had been dressing-room rumblings after the Norwich game, that a faction had asked the reserve-team manager Brian McClair to have a word with Ferguson about the growing influence of Carlos Queiroz, Ferguson's assistant, in tactics with which they were not comfortable.

Today, against a wounded Newcastle, as a result of their late mauling by the lions of Sporting Lisbon on Thursday, and weakened by the self-inflicted damage of Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer, Ferguson should go for the jugular. His best XI - Howard; G Neville, Ferdinand, Silvestre, Heinze; Ronaldo, Keane, Scholes, Fortune (Giggs being injured); Rooney and Van Nistelrooy - played in a 4-4-2 should be good enough for another final and another season's indulgence. Ferguson's record and reputation is now almost mythical. A huge legend, and business, has been built on his 18 trophies in 18 seasons, perhaps 19 in 19. As a result, none within Old Trafford appears powerful, or confident, enough to question him. He insists he remains unwearied and will carry on, but how weary of him grows the club? The feeling here is that his body of work should render him deserving of the chance to complete 20 seasons. But over the next six months, there needs to be a body of evidence, too.

Gary Neville will have a chat with Nicky Butt at the Millennium Stadium today - but the pair are far too professional to let their friendship get in the way of winning a crucial FA Cup semi-final.

After appearing in three previous finals alongside each other - including last season's Manchester United hammering of Millwall - the long-time friends will be in opposing dressing- rooms after Butt's move to Newcastle.

The victor knows that, on May 21, they will get a shot at redemption from a season turned sour. The loser faces a tortuous end to a campaign of under-achievement.

But while there are bound to be consoling words at the final whistle, Neville knows the chances of sympathy once the action starts are non-existent.

"When we played Newcastle in November, it was the first time I had played against Nicky since I was 14," said Neville. "It was really quite strange, and, together with Paul Scholes, we all had a little giggle because we had grown up together and are such great friends.

"But that will have no effect on us at all this time. We are both experienced enough to know that, in matches as big as this one, your mind has to be clear of personal agendas.

"You can't afford to focus on anything other than the game itself and I'm sure he will feel exactly the same way."

In his column in the MEN:

I'm sure, when he sits down at the end of his playing career next season, Shearer will regret never having moved to United.

Let's face it, as a player, all you want to do is to win medals. At the moment, all he has got from what has been a great career is one championship medal from his days at Blackburn.

And there are a long list of less gifted players than Shearer who will finish their careers with a hatful of medals.

I'm sure that Nicky Butt will have a point to prove as well if he plays today.

The midfielder's move to the North East hasn't really gone as well as he would have expected.

He left United to try to get regular first-team football to enhance his England chances.

But he has struggled to hold down a spot in Newcastle's starting line-up.

I'm delighted that one of my former clubs, Chelsea, has made it to the semi-finals of the Champions League and I fully expect them to beat Liverpool over two legs.

But my money is on AC Milan to take the title.

"They have got a group of players at Manchester United who, because of circumstances, refereeing decisions and injuries at the wrong time, still regard themselves as the best team in England.

"They are not sitting top of the Premiership and they will be confused by that.

"We are facing a very dangerous animal. They have been hurt last Saturday playing at Norwich and they are a very dangerous team.

"In my mind, getting beat at Norwich and the subsequent criticism that inevitably follows a Manchester United defeat makes them more dangerous.

"You do not play for Manchester United if you are an average player."

Thursday night's defeat has heaped pressure on Souness ahead of the semi-final but he insists it will not affect him unduly.

"It is not a new experience for me.

"When I was at Galatasaray, you were always one game away from a disaster. It was the same at Benfica, it was the same at Glasgow Rangers and it is the same here.

"It is something I was aware of before I took the job. This club now might be allowed to lose to, as we speak, Chelsea, Arsenal or Manchester United - other than that, it is a disaster.

"If we want to be winning things these are the teams that you are going to have to beat on a regular basis."

"Some team will face the backlash and it could be Newcastle," said the United legend, who won the FA Cup three times with the club.

"United have been wasteful in front of goal, but they are creating chances and there is too much quality in the team for a lack of goals to be a long-term problem."