Fergie gamble backfires as Manchester United, Rangers draw 0-0

MANCHESTER — Sir Alex Ferguson made sweeping changes to his Manchester United side and paid the price in a 0-0 draw with Glasgow Rangers in their Champions League opener at Old Trafford.To add to the possible cost of the result, United winger Antonio Valencia was stretchered off with what appeared to be a serious ankle injury after twisting the joint as he ran down the touchline early in the second half.The reaction of Rangers defender Kirk Broadfoot, who looked away in anguish, suggested Valenica's injury may have been extremely damaging.Ferguson created a stir even before kick-off, making 10 changes to the United line-up that drew at Everton on Saturday, although two of those alterations saw the return of Wayne Rooney, controversially rested at the weekend, and injury-prone defender Rio Ferdinand.Still, the fact that the United manager was clearly choosing a team with one eye upon the weekend Premier League fixture with Liverpool was always likely to be perceived as a calculated gamble and little that occurred over the opening 45 minutes at least, altered that view.The first half offered little in the way of entertainment or goal threat and, indeed, the most noteworthy incident came late in the period and involved Rooney, who appeared to twist his ankle painfully as he ran to close down Steven Davis.Fortunately for United, after a few minutes of gingerly testing his ankle, Rooney was fit to continue.But his impact on the first period was negligible.On one of the few occasions when the visiting defence allowed him a sliver of space, Rooney opted to pass to team mate Javier Hernandez when the better option would have appeared to have been to shoot.The effort was blocked and a rare United foray came to nothing.Darron Gibson, called into the centre of United's midfield, unleashed two characteristic long-range efforts, the first of which from 25 yards whistled narrowly past the right-hand Rangers post.The fact that Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor was booked as half-time approached, after being warned a num

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