Hurrah for Larsson but injuries nag Fergie

LONDON - WHAT a way for Henrik Larsson to say goodbye. More crucially, what bad timing.

With his final touch in his final game at Old Trafford on Wednesday, the 35-year-old headed in the goal that beat Lille 1-0 and eased Manchester United into the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

After he plays his final game at Middlesbrough in the FA Cup quarter-final tomorrow, United will be left without an out-and-out striker.

A hamstring injury will keep Louis Saha out for four weeks and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will not be available until the end of the month after a knee operation.

Paul Scholes begins a three-match suspension tomorrow.

A further setback came on Wednesday when defender Mikael Silvestre dislocated his shoulder after a collision with Efstathios Tavlaridis, leaving United to toil on against Lille with 10 men.

He is almost out for the remainder of the season, reported The Guardian.

'Apart from the results, it has been a bad week,' said manager Alex Ferguson.

'It is not looking good for Mikael at all. It is another big blow for us because, in the space of a week, we have lost five players.

'Louis will be missing for four weeks although, with hamstrings, you can never be sure exactly how long they will be out.

'Ole will not be available until March 31, Darren Fletcher is out for two months and now Larsson is leaving us.'

Not that Ferguson did not try to convince Larsson from returning to Sweden to play for Helsinborgs.

'Henrik has promised that to them,' he said. 'He has got his family, too. There's no point in going on about it.

'I've spoken to the man, and he is going back. That, unfortunately, is that.'

With regulations forbidding the calling back of young striker Giuseppe Rossi from loan at Parma, United are left with just Wayne Rooney and Alan Smith up front.

Rooney, playing with a stitched-up leg, has huffed and puffed to his 10 goals in 26 league matches.

Midfielder-turned-striker Smith came off the bench on Wednesday for his first taste of action since early November.

Chelsea will believe they have a genuine chance to overhaul United's nine-point lead at the top of the table.

Especially after watching United's scrappy display against a Lille side still seething over Ryan Giggs' first-leg winner.

The Red Devils started well enough.

In the 14th minute, Scholes selflessly chipped the ball across for Rooney, whose goal-bound volley hit Matthieu Chalme.

From the corner, John O'Shea's header thumped into the bar.

Scholes promptly forced a flying save from Tony Sylva, and it looked only a matter of time before United's superiority was manifested in a goal.

Midway through the first half, Lille should have gone ahead when Jean Makoun, once a United target, sent a free header straight at Edwin van der Sar from a free kick.

Then Cristiano Ronaldo was booked for trying to win a penalty with a dive, and United's display turned scrappy, reported The Independent.

Cries of 'Fergie, sort it out' rose from the fans.

With 19 minutes remaining, Ronaldo crossed superbly for the unmarked Larsson to bid farewell with a header from 10 metres.

Ferguson insisted he does not care who his team get in the quarter-finals draw today.

'There is not a lot between the sides left, so I feel we have a chance against anyone,' he said.

Not with Wednesday's display. His injury list has made things a lot harder.