Tough fixture list for champions Man Utd

0 Comments | AFP, June, 2008

LONDON (AFP) — Manchester United will open the 2008/2009 Premier League season with a home match against Newcastle on August 16, but manager Alex Ferguson will be concerned over several fixture clashes.

The Red Devils, bent on a hat-trick of domestic titles and a successful defence of their continental crown, will have to face tough games after every European tie.

They will open their European expedition in the middle of visits to Liverpool and Chelsea, the first head-to-head duel between Ferguson and Luiz Felipe Scolari.

It leaves Ferguson hoping for a home start in Europe and definitely not a long away trip, which will force him to utilise his squad for matches he would prefer to target with his first-choice line-up.

Trips to Blackburn, Everton,...