Fergie vows to learn from final heartache

Sir Alex Ferguson is certain last season's Champions League final defeat will drive Manchester United on to more success this term.

Despite landing three major honours, United have spent the summer looking back on a horrible night in Rome, where they were badly outplayed by Barcelona.

But in the build-up to Sunday's Community Shield showdown with Chelsea at Wembley, the Red Devils chief said: "Adversity is always an important factor in developing and improving. I have always reacted well to adversity over the years and whenever we lose a match I tell my players that the next game is the important one - the match we have to focus on."

He added: "That has always been the case here at the club.

"When you lose the last game of the season you have two or three months to reflect on the disappointment.

"We have not enjoyed that. But we will cope - and we will bounce back."

Ferguson has a defensive headache to deal with this weekend.

Nemanja Vidic, Wes Brown, Gary Neville and Rafael Da Silva all missed Wednesday's defeat of Valencia and have already been ruled out of the Chelsea encounter.

John O'Shea is pencilled in for an appearance in United's back four alongside Rio Ferdinand, Patrice Evra and Jonny Evans this weekend.

But Belgium international Ritchie De Laet made an eye-catching contribution to the Valencia victory at right-back, while Northern Ireland Under-21 star Craig Cathcart would also have been picked had he not suffered a minor groin strain in training on Tuesday.