Champions League quarter-final, second leg ties

Team news and probable line-ups for Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final second leg ties:

MANCHESTER UNITED vs. REAL MADRID

Alex Ferguson is hoping Juan Sebastian Veron is fit after a long-term knee complaint to replace Paul Scholes, who is suspended after picking up a booking in the 3-1 first-leg defeat.

Defender Gary Neville is also banned with Wes Brown expected to continue at right back.

French keeper Fabien Barthez is doubtful with a thigh strain and John O'Shea has a recurring knee problem, but both may play even if not 100 percent fit.

Real Madrid suffered a major setback on Monday when Spanish international forward Raul was rushed to hospital for emergency surgery for acute appendicitis, ruling him out for a month.

Coach Vicente del Bosque can replace Raul with Guti, who plays in the same space as Raul just behind the leading striker, or one of two out-and-out centre-forwards in Fernando Morientes and Javier Portillo.

Alternatively, the coach could opt to play a five-man midfield and leave Ronaldo as the team's lone striker. Such an approach would likely see Argentina's Santiago Solari coming in on the left wing.

Otherwise Real are at full strength as they look to go on and clinch a place in the semi-finals after their magnificent win in the first leg at the Bernabeu.

Probable teams:

Manchester United: 1-Fabien Barthez, 24-Wes Brown, 6-Rio Ferdinand, 27-Mikael Silvestre, 22-John O'Shea, 7-David Beckham, 16-Roy Keane, 4-Juan Sebastian Veron, 11-Ryan Giggs, 20-Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, 10-Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Real Madrid: 1-Iker Casillas, 2-Michel Salgado, 4-Fernando Hierro, 6-Ivan Helguera, 3-Roberto Carlos, 10-Luis Figo, 24-Claude Makelele, 16-Flavio Conceicao, 5-Zinedine Zidane, 14-Guti, 11-Ronaldo.

Referee: Pierluigi Collina (Italy).

AC MILAN vs. AJAX AMSTERDAM

AC Milan will be without almost their entire first choice midfield against Ajax, with whom they shared a 0-0 draw in the first leg in Amsterdam.

They have decided to leave it until the last moment before deciding on the fitness of Brazilian Serginho, the latest to join the club's growing injury list.

Andrea Pirlo and Clarence Seedorf are both ruled out until the end of the season with injuries, while Gennaro Gattuso is suspended.

Coach Carlo Ancelotti is likely to play Christian Brocchi on the right flank with Rui Costa and Massimo Ambrosini in the centre of midfield. Should Serginho not be fit to take his spot on the left wing then Georgian defender Kakha Kaladze, himself returning from an injury lay-off, could be asked to step forward.

Paolo Maldini, who is recovering from a broken nose, should play but will be wearing a protective mask. In attack, Ancelotti will probably opt to pair Andriy Shevchenko and Filippo Inzaghi meaning that Brazilian Rivaldo will again have to be content with a place on the bench.

Ajax coach Ronald Koeman also has significant injury problems after Rafael van der Vaart, Maxwell and Jari Litmanen picked up knocks in Saturday's 4-2 win over Roda JC. Van der Vaart is the biggest worry after suffering concussion that required a hospital check on Sunday.

Maxwell and Litmanen, along with previous injury doubts Thomas Galasek, Steven Pienaar, Hatem Trabelsi and Andre Bergdolmo all trained in Ajax's last session before leaving for Milan, though late fitness tests are expected.

Probable teams:

Milan: 12-Dida, 14-Dario Simic, 13-Alessandro Nesta, 3-Paolo Maldini, 19-Alessandro Costacurta, 32-Christian Brocchi, 23-Massimo Ambrosini, 10-Rui Costa, 4-Kakha Kaladze (or 27-Serginho), 7-Andriy Shevchenko, 9-Filippo Inzaghi.

Ajax: 1-Bogdan Lobont, 2-Hatem Trabelsi, 5-Christian Chivu, 16-Petri Pasanen, 18-John O'Brien, 22-Abubakari Yakubu, 4-Thomas Galasek, 10-Steven Pienaar, 37-Wesley Sneijder, 9-Zlatan Ibrahimovic, 23-Rafael van der Vaart.

Referee: Manuel Enrique Mejuto Gonzalez (Spain).