SOCCER:  For Roy Keane's entire professional career opponents have dreamed of seeing a lot less of him. Following that hip operation they have got their wish at last, but the sense of comfort is proving ephemeral.

Alex Ferguson had told his captain after the 1-0 win at Ibrox two weeks ago that he would not be in the starting line-up again until the return match with Rangers tonight.

The midfielder is being employed sparingly, but he has become just as painstaking in the use of his powers and they were applied perfectly when he scored a beautiful goal as a substitute against Portsmouth on Saturday.

This evening the visitors will be confronted by the full measure of Keane's influence just when they are at their weakest in midfield, with Ronald de Boer, Christian Nerlinger and, most probably, Fernando Ricksen ruled out.

With David Beckham and Juan Sebastian Veron sold, while Paul Scholes and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer are injured, Ferguson can only expect the side, and its performance, to cohere around Keane. This often intemperate footballer is turning into a paternal figure.

"Five years ago he was a box-to-box player. He could cover the ground incredibly well," said Ferguson. "Now he channels his energy better. He's 32 and he's had that operation. I think he's a far more measured player, more of a thinking player.

"Five years ago he maybe lived on the raw energy he has. Now you see a mature player at his very peak. In terms of influence he has got stronger. He's the senior player now."

Ferguson may depend on him more than he would wish because United, with Ruud van Nistelrooy misfiring, do not have an easy, dominant confidence at present. Although Rangers' form has been very weak of late, their zest worried the English champions at Ibrox and better finishing by the Dane Peter Lovenkrands would have brought a draw.

"The issue we are faced with is to ensure Rangers don't control the tempo of the game the way they did in the first half at Ibrox," said Ferguson. "We sat back and even Roy was near the back four."

Another United victory would put them on a handsome total of nine points in Group E of the Champions League, leaving the fate of Alex McLeish's Rangers to be decided by their trip to Stuttgart. None the less, Ferguson seemed genuinely wary of his countrymen. "These points will not be easily achieved. I know what the Scottish nature is like," he said.

He assumes that the Rangers supporters hold far more tickets than their official allocation of 3,000. "When the Scottish fans were banned from Wembley one year there was only 80,000 of them there," Ferguson half-joked. He did not feel either that the identity of Rangers is compromised by the fact that the youngster Stephen Hughes may be the only Scot in the line-up tonight.

As far as Ferguson is concerned, foreign signings need not be jaded mercenaries. "They can easily get themselves woven into the fabric of a club," he said. "When you play with a club like Rangers the tradition is bound to have an effect on you when you walk into the marble halls (at Ibrox)."

Meanwhile, Rio Ferdinand's prospects of discovering how the football Association propose to deal with his missed drugs test will move no closer until Manchester United respond to the charge. United have until November 12th to do so, and the FA confirmed yesterday they can do nothing at present but wait to hear from the club.

The punishments available to the FA for a player failing to attend a drugs test range from a short ban all the way up to a two-year suspension.

It is that level of ban which was yesterday upheld by the Spanish Committee for Sports Discipline (CEDD) against Athletic Bilbao midfielder Carlos Gurpegi, for failing a doping test.

Gurpegi tested positive for 19-Norandrosterone, a substance linked to illegal steroid use, following a game in September of 2002 - the opening contest of the Athletic season. Athletic mounted a vigorous defence of the 23-year-old, taking their appeals to the highest sporting body in the country and the club have vowed to fight the decision.

MANCHESTER UNITED (4-4-2): Howard; G Neville, Ferdinand, Silvstre, O'Shea; Ronaldo, P Neville, Keane, Giggs; Forlan, Van Nistelrooy.

RANGERS (4-4-2): Klos; Khizanishvili, Berg, Moore, Ball; Hughes, Arteta, Emerson, Lovenkrands; Mols, Arveladze.

Referee: P Collina (Italy).

Guardian Service

Manchester Utd v Rangers

Old Trafford, 7.45

On TV: TV3, UTV