Burton pledge not to succumb to 'Manchester United mania'

A virulent strain of FA Cup fever has got one Burton Albion player worrying about Wayne Rooney - despite the Manchester United striker being suspended for tonight's third-round replay against the Conference side at Old Trafford.

Andy Ducros played in the Premiership for Coventry City, and as a member of the same England Youth team as Rio Ferdinand he spent 10 days working with Terry Venables' squad during Euro 96. Such brushes with stardom have not prevented the midfielder from succumbing to the "Manchester United mania" that the chairman, Ben Robinson, says has swept the Staffordshire brewing town.

Ducros' concerns centre on the United shirt he swapped with Rooney at the end of the 0-0 draw at the Pirelli Stadium 10 days ago. Owning the top is not enough; he wants it autographed, framed and hung at home. But he has already passed up one opportunity to secure the signature.

"We went to Old Trafford in a mini-bus last Thursday and it was awesome, even when it was empty," Ducros explained. "We left our shirts from the first game for the United lads to sign, and we'll pick them up this week. I was told to leave my Rooney top for him to sign, but I didn't want it out of my sight. I'm just hoping I can catch up with him afterwards."

Pundits and bookmakers alike will put their shirts on United to prevail and claim a fourth-round tie at Wolverhampton Wanderers. However, Burton will not go quietly. Nigel Clough's team will be backed by 10,300 supporters, the biggest away following Old Trafford has witnessed since the last extension to the stadium took its capacity to 68,000.

Clough, it is safe to assume, will not pick himself to play left-back as he did in Burton's last match, a 4-1 defeat at Stourbridge in the Birmingham Senior Cup. Nor will there be any fairytale return for Martin Taylor, the 39-year-old former Derby and Wycombe goalkeeper, although he will be on the bench. Saul Deeney, who was labelled "Houdeeney" after the stoppage-time save that ensured Burton escaped with a replay, has signed a new contract and will play, watched by several of his nine United-mad brothers.

Darren Stride, a Burton-upon-Trent boy and veteran of 500 matches and 100 goals for his only club, returns to captain them. But their most experienced defender, the former Leicester, Derby and Charlton player Gary Rowett, misses out again because of a hamstring strain.

United will be without the banned Cristiano Ronaldo as well as Rooney, making it likely that Louis Saha and Alan Smith will start the match after their cameo roles at Manchester City. There may also be a debut for Nemanja Vidic, 24, the Serbia & Montenegro centre-back bought for £7.2m from Spartak Moscow. "I picked the right side for the first game," insisted Sir Alex Ferguson. "It won't be far from that this time."

The replay has added significance for United after the derby defeat and draws in both domestic cups, yet their manager was able to see beyond narrow club interest. He felt the FA Cup has become "stagnant", adding: "It's a long time since we had a Hereford, a Sutton or a Wrexham. Results like ours at Burton are what the competition needs."

Mild irritation crept into Ferguson's tone as he pondered a second third round running in which Conference opposition have taken United to a replay. "We're becoming great at giving the smaller clubs a lifeline," he sighed, recalling that it had been Exeter City's turn last year.

"They could make £700,000 out of this, so in that respect it's terrific for Burton. It's beyond the fairy-tale thing for us, it's a matter of winning the match. It doesn't matter who we play, we have got to win."