Manchester United host CSKA Moskva at Old Trafford as Match Day 4 of Champions League kicks-off in Group B on Tuesday night.
If facts are taken into account, Russian team's most recent group-stage away win came in the same 2004/05 season that United last suffered a home defeat in the UEFA Champions League.
That record, and a 1-0 home reverse against United on Matchday 3 thanks to Antonio Valencia's late goal, means new CSKA coach Leonid Slutski and his players may feel they have something to prove as they look to better their first Group B away performance, a 3-1 reverse at VfL Wolfsburg.
Even if United pursue for an outright win, they would have to do without striker Rooney, who missed training on Monday as his wife Coleen was giving birth to their first child.
Central defensive duo Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic along with Ryan Giggs are already ruled out.
Dimitar Berbatov is a doubt with a knee injury, while Park Ji-sung will not be considered despite returning to training after fluid on his knee.
With a crucial Premier League clash with Chelsea on Sunday, manager Sir Alex Ferguson will not want to take any chances as United only require just one more win to qualify for the knockout phase.
And CSKA will be travelling to Old Trafford without Mark Gonzalez, Guilherme and Sekou Oliseh. Left-winger González has been ruled out for the rest of the year, having suffered an ankle injury while on international duty with Chile. Oliseh meanwhile sprained his hip in the pre-match warm-up last weekend.
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