United count the cost of Rooney injury

MANCHESTER - Sir Alex Ferguson's angry tirade at the officials who handled Manchester United's 2-1 defeat by Chelsea may have temporarily blurred the picture.

But once his temper had subsided, the United boss will have been acutely aware of the reality that his squad's season could effectively be over by Wednesday evening when Bayern Munich will visit Old Trafford with a 2-1 first-leg lead to defend in their Champions League quarterfinal tie.

After watching his side outclassed by sharper, fresher opponents for much of Saturday's encounter, Ferguson did not hide from the fact his players had lost control of their own destiny in their quest for an unprecedented fourth consecutive English title.