Chelsea look at O'Leary

The advantages of O'Leary, 45, would be his knowledge of the Premiership, his age and some astute handling of young players. The major downside is that he has yet to win a major trophy, something chief executive Peter Kenyon insisted was a prerequisite when he was seeking a replacement for Ferguson at United.

Ranieri, who travelled to the Principality yesterday without stomach virus victims Damien Duff and William Gallas, must meanwhile decide whether to stake his future at Chelsea on two Argentines - Hernan Crespo and Juan Sebastian Veron - who were forced on him by the new owners in the belief they would be playing for Sven Goran Eriksson next season.

Crespo, the £16.8m striker recommended by Eriksson, will almost certainly play some part tonight despite having scored only once in eight Champions League games.

'This is a very big match for everybody,' said the 28-year-old striker. 'We are very proud to have got this far but now we have to keep going. I have a good record in Champions League, though maybe this season it has not been so great.

'Maybe my goals will come in the very great matches and this is one of those. It has been difficult to adjust to the move to England in every sense, not just the football. And the club is in the midst of a revolution. Everyone is adapting.' Ranieri, who is also expected to give Veron a run-out, was last night trying to block out the uncertainty over his future and the good wishes of a nation who have watched him fight his corner against apparently insurmountable pressure.

He said: 'I can only say thank you to everybody and now I am focused only on Chelsea. My focus is only on the semi-final. I don't think beyond that. I only want to see the match against Monaco.

'In England people say we're the favourites. But in Portugal they say Porto are the favourites, in Spain they say Deportivo. I think it's a 25 per cent chance for everybody, There are no favourites now.'