United require a miracle to make last eight

miracle to take his side into the quarter-finals of the European

Champions Cup, the final step will have been accomplished, writes Ian

Paul. Unfortunately for the manager who has transformed the fortunes of

the Old Trafford club, the impossible will have to be achieved by remote

control a long way from Manchester where his own team try to beat

Galatasaray of Turkey tonight.

It is in Barcelona where the decisive action could take place when

Gothenburg of Sweden, who startled United fans by beating their side

last time out, take on the Spanish champions. The Swedes would have to

do the same in the massive and intimidating Nou Camp Stadium to give

United any chance of reaching the last eight.

At the same time they would have manage something they have not done

before, beat Galatasaray, with whom they have drawn on all three

occasions the two clubs have met.

That is a tall enough order to be going on with, bearing in mind how

poorly United performed against Barcelona and Gothenburg in their past

two Champions League games. And the manager reflected ruefully yesterday

on how depleted is the side he has to field for what might be the final

fling for his club in Europe for another season.

''I have got to do without six players,'' he said, ''and, at this

level, that is a hard job. But we will be going out with a positive

attitude to try to give our fans a victory and see what happens after

that.''

The men out injured are Peter Schmeichel, Lee Sharpe, Ryan Giggs, and

Paul Parker and the two who have to be left out because of suspension

are Mark Hughes and Paul Ince.

The quality of that lot cannot be questioned but Ferguson is never one

to dwell on the might-have-been -- although in this case he must be

severely tempted -- and he will look to a kind of frontline Auld

Alliance to produce the answers he wants against the Turks.

Scot Brian McClair and Frenchman Eric Cantona will be the two strikers

given the job of finding a way through the Galatasaray defence.

Andrei Kanchelskis, who has been suffering from a stomach strain, will

not be risked but Irishman Roy Keane will return after injury. Although

he has been doing well as a full-back, Keane will go into his former

position in midfield to try to make up for Ince's absence.

Ferguson was still raving about Cantona's performance at the weekend

when ''he played his best football of the season. He was magnificent.''

The manager would love to see the controversial Gallic star turn in a

similar performance in the full glare of the European spotlight,

especially as there is a powerful lobby in France wanting him stripped

of the captaincy for his country. But much was expected of Cantona in

Gothenburg when he was found wanting and it can be taken for granted

that the Turks will ensure that his volatile temperament will be tested

to the full.

United can expect to be told by Ferguson that their job is to

concentrate wholly on beating Galatasaray and leave the rest to fate.

Galatasaray are invariably underestimated wherever they travel but

United, of all teams, know to their cost how efficient and dangerous on

the break they can be.

''It could be one of the great nights in Europe,'' said Ferguson, ''or

it could turn out flat.''

Unless Barcelona are destroyed by their own nervousness, the chances

are it will be commiseration time in Old Trafford.

We have become adept at that ourselves.