After securing a comfortable 2-0 at Schalke 04 in their semi-final first leg last week, Ferguson was already talking about making changes for Wednesday's return leg at Old Trafford and the need has since become even greater.
GEAR:Save 10% onChampions League shirts with Kitbag. Free delivery on orders over £50
United's lead at the top of the Premier League was trimmed to three points this weekend to set up Sunday's match at home to Chelsea as a potential title decider. The London side would go ahead on goal difference with victory.
"We'll regroup and get them freshened up. I'll make some changes, without question, on Wednesday," Ferguson told MUTV after his side lost 1-0 at Arsenal on Sunday to throw open a title race that United had looked to have well under control.
"We'll bring Paul Scholes back in. Dimitar Berbatov, Michael Owen, fresh players. We need to do that but, also, I've probably got to keep experienced players at the back."
It will hardly be a second-string side if it features the Premier League's top scorer Berbatov and evergreen midfielder Scholes, but it will be weaker.
The first leg's other scorer Wayne Rooney is also a prime candidate to be rested as the striker has been excelling in a new deeper-lying role behind Javier Hernandez that is as energy-sapping as it is devastating to defences.
"In football, you never know because I remember when I was playing with Monaco, we lost in the Bernabeu 4-2 and Madrid thought they were going to the semi-final. But in the second leg we won 3-1," he told MUTV referring to his 2004 experience.
"We must be much more compact and aggressive than we were in the first game," defender Chris
