LONDON - Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson faces an anxious wait on the fitness of Wayne Rooney and Nemanja Vidic for tonight's Champions League semifinal, second leg match against Barcelona.

LONDON - Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson faces an anxious wait on the fitness of Wayne Rooney and Nemanja Vidic for tonight's Champions League semifinal, second leg match against Barcelona.

This comes after both players missed training yesterday.

Rooney is struggling with a hip injury, while Vidic took a knee in the face from Didier Drogba in the weekend match with Chelsea.

Both men are still expected to start and Ferguson is likely to give them as much time as he can to prove their fitness.

United go into the second leg as slight favourites having drawn 0-0 with the Spanish team in Barcelona last week.

Meanwhile, Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard finally admitted that he expects his Brazilian superstar striker Ronaldinho to leave at the end of the season.

Rijkaard was asked on the Catalan television station TV3 late on Sunday night whether Barca's last home game of the season, against Real Mallorca on May 11, would be turned into a gala sendoff for Ronaldinho.

"Yes, it could be then," conceded Rijkaard. "I don't want people to forget what he's done for this club. I hope that he leaves with his head held high and that he demonstrates to the world of football just who he is," added the Dutch coach.

Tonight's soccer on TV:

ESPN/e-tv: Uefa Champions League - Manchester United v Barca (8.30pm). - Sapa-DPA/AFP