Alex Ferguson has his fingers crossed that Ryan Giggs will train in Turin tonight and declare himself fit to face Juventus in tomorrow's Champions' League semi-final second leg.

The Manchester United manager has had an anxious week since Giggs left Villa Park on crutches after scoring the wonder goal which took his side to Wembley in the FA Cup.

Now Ferguson must wait and hope the Welshman will report for duty at the Stadio Delle Alpi after days of intense treatment on a badly-bruised ankle.

"He'll travel with us, and we are hoping we can have him training by tomorrow night," said Ferguson. "He's coming on, but it's going to be very close. We are certainly more hopeful about Ryan than we were after last Wednesday's game.

"He is improving a lot, and it's not the kind of injury where there has been any ligament or tendon damage. It is purely the ankle joint, so hopefully the inflammation and swelling will come down enough for him to play."

Giggs is United's only injury worry after goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel's recovery from a slight groin strain which forced him to miss Saturday's home win over Sheffield Wednesday.

The Dane will return to take over from stand-in Raimond van der Gouw.

United go into the game knowing Juventus have the advantage of an away goal following the 1-1 draw in the first leg at Old Trafford, but Ferguson is convinced his players can put things on an even keel by scoring in Italy.

"We know we have to score, and if you look at our record away from home in Europe, there is plenty of evidence we can do that, and I am convinced we will.

"We need a really top performance with good concentration and discipline, and I think we have an outstanding chance."

Ferguson feels his side will be tested to the limit and says he does not expect Juventus to play for the 0-0 draw which would take them through.

"Knowing Juventus, they will try to finish the tie, particularly in the first half an hour, because that is normally what they try to do," he said.

"The important thing for us is to remember that at present it's a draw, and if we can score over there, then it changes the whole thing. "We were in this situation in 1991 in the Cup Winners' Cup when we went to Montpellier after drawing 1-1 at home and won 2-0 over there. It's a psychological thing and, hopefully, it is in our favour."

Ferguson will not name the team until tomorrow but it is expected that leading scorer Dwight Yorke will come back after being left out at the start of the last two games.

Who partners him is a different matter with Teddy Sheringham, Andy Cole and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer all in contention.

Meanwhile, Juventus vice-president Giovanni Agnelli has launched an amazing attack on Zinedine Zidane. The World Player of the Year wants to move at the end of the season to play for a team near a seaside resort at the request of his wife - a wish that has angered Agnelli.

"Zinedine Zidane is not suffering from home sickness, he is suffering because he is under the thumb," Agnelli said. "I took him aside and asked him, `Who is the boss in your house, you or your wife?'

"He told me that since they have had two sons, his wife is the boss.

"I would be very glad to keep him here at Juventus, but the problem is his wife - and I have no authority over her," he told the Sun.