Roy and Rio ruled out

Roy Keane and Rio Ferdinand will miss Man Utd's clash with Sparta Prague.

Skipper Keane did not fly with the rest of the United squad as they jetted out to the Czech capital for their game on Tuesday.

The Irish international has contracted a virus and manager Sir Alex Ferguson has decided not to risk him.

Ferdinand, who would have probably took the captain's armband in Keane's absence, misses the game because he is to attend the funeral of his grandmother.

South African Quinton Fortune, who started Saturday's Premiership game with Birmingham, has picked up a calf injury and also misses out.

Paul Scholes should be reinstated to the starting XI to replace Keane, while Wes Brown is now favourite to partner Mikael Silvestre in central defence.

Gabriel Heinze will come in for Fortune, while both Ryan Giggs and Wayne Rooney should also start - with Louis Saha and Alan Smith the most likely to make way.