Manchester United sprung a surprise by fielding seven defenders at the weekend and may be poised for another against Olympique Marseille in the Champions League with Nani close to an early return from injury.

Manager Alex Ferguson had ruled him out of Tuesday's last-16 second leg as the Portuguese recovers from a gashed leg but seemed to change his mind before the French champion heads to Old Trafford following last month's 0-0 draw in Marseille.

"Nani has had the stitches removed and has a chance for Tuesday," Ferguson told the Manchester Evening News on Sunday. "He's done some work on the bike, but the problem is that he hasn't trained yet."

Marseille only needed to have looked at United's team sheet for Saturday's FA Cup quarterfinal against Arsenal to witness Ferguson's ability to shock, as he named a lineup with only one recognized midfielder which still beat the Londoners 2-0.

Grappling with a raft of injuries, and wanting to rest the likes of Darren Fletcher, Michael Carrick, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes, Ferguson drafted in fullbacks Rafael, Fabio and John O'Shea who performed well in midfield.

"I couldn't risk Scholes and Giggs because of Tuesday's game against Marseille, such a vital game for the club, so Darron Gibson had to play as the only natural midfielder," Ferguson said.

United was boosted by winger Antonio Valencia coming through 45 minutes on Saturday, his first appearance since breaking and dislocating his ankle in September.

He looked sharp enough to be a viable replacement for Nani if the Portuguese sits out the game as had been expected following last Sunday's injury.

The English side has the upper hand at Old Trafford where it is undefeated this season and where it has never lost to French opposition, although a score draw would put the visitors through.

Insider knowledge

Marseille could benefit from insider knowledge as its Argentine defender Gabriel Heinze knows Old Trafford well from his three years at United from 2004 and he was looking forward to returning to the site of so many good memories.

"My first big moment at Old Trafford was when the fans and my team voted me as best player," he told UEFA's website. "To go on to win the domestic league title with Manchester United - my first - was unforgettable."

Premier League leader United will be bracing itself for an onslaught from a Marseille side which goes into the game lifted by a 2-0 win over Stade Rennes in Ligue 1 at the weekend.

Playmaker Lucho Gonzalez, who netted the second goal against Rennes, was at his brilliant best and France forward Loic Remy opened the scoring.

It will be without Brazilian striker Brandao, who went back to his native country for a week after being put under formal investigation in an alleged rape case.

Marseille, who won the first ever Champions League title in 1993, and three-time European champion United kick off at 1945 GMT on Tuesday.