The Premier League leaders have rarely hit top form this term, as proved when an albeit largely second string toiled to beat minor league Crawley Town 1-0 in an edgy FA Cup Fifth Round tie on Saturday.
French champions Marseille are their next obstacle in the last-16 first-leg clash at the Stade Velodrome on Wednesday when striker Andre-Pierre Gignac (pictured) will be missing after injuring his groin in Saturday's 2-1 win over St Etienne.
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Crawley almost equalised on Saturday when hitting the bar in stoppage-time and they needed Wayne Rooney's stunning overhead kick to seal a 2-1 win over Manchester City in their last Premier League game.
Rooney's poor general form underlines how United have stuttered but as manager Sir Alex Ferguson is always happy to point out, his team tend to hit their stride in the last third of the season.
"I have been to watch games at Marseille quite a few times and the atmosphere supporters create at their ground is terrific," Ferguson told reporters.
"It won't be easy going over there but I think we have a good chance of qualifying."
It will also be Evra's first match back in his native France after his part in France's doomed World Cup campaign in South Africa last year.
Evra, though, has established himself as one of the world's top left-backs since moving from Monaco in 2006 and Ferguson has no doubts he will handle the abuse expected from fans of his old rivals.
"Patrice is unquestionably one of the world's best left backs," said Ferguson.
"He has developed into a key character in the dressing room and it is great that he has committed himself to the club. His experience and skill will be increasingly important to us."
Marseille's Deschamps is refusing to worry about his side's injuries and is just relishing the test against the three-
