By Dan Ripley
Last updated at 6:35 PM on 26th April 2011

Follow Sportsmail's coverage of the Champions League where Manchester United travel to Gelsenkirchen for the first leg of their semi-final against Schalke. United are favourites to go through but will be wary of the German side who knocked out holders Inter Milan in the last round.

18.30: Good evening folks, of course the most important aspect of tonight's game is Manchester United are playing in a Champions League semi-final but I somehow just can't take my thoughts of the sub-plot. Yes, Wayne Rooney's return to Gelsenkirchen...

I could forgive him for what was an awful World Cup last summer in South Africa as I struggle to think of any Three Lions players with their international reputations better off than when they went to that tournament.

But that quarter-final in Germany five years ago still winds me up. The winking, the stamping and England's inability to kick a ball from 12 yar....sorry I'm rambling, here is tonight's team news.

Manchester United: Van der Sar; Fabio, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra; Valencia, Carrick, Giggs, Park; Rooney; Hernandez.

Schalke: Neuer; Sarpei, Raul, Edu, Buamjohann, Papadopolous, Farfan, Jurado, Metzelder, Uchida, Matip.

Red army: Led by Wayne Rooney (9), Manchester United will hope to secure an advantage in Germany

Red army: Led by Wayne Rooney (9), Manchester United will hope to secure an advantage in Germany