Winston Bogarde, the Netherlands defender, is expected to pass a late fitness test.Auxerre (probable): Charbonnier; Goma, West, Zelic, Rabarivony; Henna, Lamouchi, Moussa Saib; Tasfaout, Laslandes, Diomede.Ajax (probable): Van der Sar; Bogarde, Marcio Santos, F de Boer, Reuser, R de Boer, Scholten, Musampa, Overmars, Litmanen, Babangida.. Gary Mabbutt underwent an operation last night to have a metal pin inserted in the left leg he fractured on the opening day of the season. It's true that may not be quite enough for the Champions' League, but it's the matches that will tell us that," Roux said.While Ajax have lost Edgar Davids, Finidi George, Nwankwo Kanu and Michael Reiziger and sustained numerous injury worries and suspensions, Auxerre have had to plug gaps left by their departed backbone of Laurent Blanc, Corentin Martins and Chris-tophe Cocard. Australia's Ned Zelic has stepped into Blanc's boots and helped the Auxerre defence keep five clean sheets in six league games this season, with just one hiccup in a 2-1 away defeat at Strasbourg.Ajax, deprived of Patrick Kluivert through injury, welcome back their winger Marc Overmars to European competition following injury in December 1995 to team up again in attack with the formidable Finnish striker, Jari Litmanen. Auxerre did not, however, spend the off-season specifically preparing for the Champions' League."That would have been suicidal for the club to change methods even if it had been feasible in a few months We preferred to consolidate as we have usually done. It's essentially because matches in the Dutch championship are very tough," he said.The match marks a departure for both sides, with Ajax rebuilding after the loss of key members of their fourth European Cup-winning side in 1995 and Auxerre taking part in the competition for the first time.

The midfielder had been watched by Celtic, but the Goodison Park club moved swiftly to deter him from leaving. Joe Royle, the Everton manager, has tipped Parkinson for future international honours.Ray Harford, the Blackburn Rovers manager, admitted after the 2-1 defeat by Derby on Monday night that the timing of Alan Shearer's transfer could not have been worse, coming only 19 days before the start of the Premiership campaign."You have got to have a game plan as you prepare for the new season. Our game plan was jeopardised by Alan Shearer going when he did," Harford said. "Nothing was sorted out until after he came back from holiday following the European championships. Then we had injuries to people who can play up front like Chris Sutton, Paul Warhurst and Kevin Gallacher."Sometimes you have to take punches in this game and that is what I have learned to do.". Premiership bullies, or genuine European force? That is the question Manchester United must answer as they begin their Champions' League campaign against Juventus, the holders, in the Stadio Delle Alpi tonight. Three titles and two Doubles in four years have established Alex Ferguson's side as among the greatest the domestic game has seen.

However, their impact on Europe has been fleeting, the 1991 Cup-Winners Cup triumph being followed by a succession of premature exits. Ferguson is committed to emulating Sir Matt Busby and lifting the Champions Cup. Only then can his team be regarded in the same glowing light as both that side and later Liverpool teams, and only then can its fulcrum, Eric Cantona, be accorded the international respect he craves."There is no question he wants to do well," Ferguson said of his captain yesterday. "All players want to play on the highest stage and he missed the World Cup because France did not make it and Euro 96 because he was not chosen."Cantona will be aware that when he has played the European stage with Leeds United and Manchester United it has been with a stutter rather than a strut. Yet he has produced in the big domestic games and United hope his new maturity will enable him to make the step up."It is the right time for us," Ferguson added. "Our ability and temperament are good enough, the question mark is over the tactical side. Our inability to understand the tactics of our opponents beat us two years ago.

At least this time I can play my best side; I do not have to leave out a foreign player who is an integral part of the team."The foreign player restrictions, which are being swept away following the Bosman ruling, handicap United more than most. Tactically the teams were too aggressive, the midfield too often sucked forward and the defence exposed.One remedy will be to play three at the back plus wing backs but United's experiments with such a formation, most recently at Derby, have not been successful. Even if Gary Pallister recovers from his knee injury they are likely to stick to a back four, not least because Juventus play with three forwards. Pallister is rated doubtful but most expect him to line up alongside either Ronnie Johnsen or David May. United are also without Roy Keane and Phil Neville, who both recently underwent surgery.The Italian season only began this weekend (Juventus were held to a draw by Reggiana), so it is hardly surprising that their players are all fit.