Sir Alex Ferguson is readying his Manchester United squad for the season's run-in after praising their strength-in-depth this season.
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With the Red Devils still competing on three fronts this term, including an all-important UEFA Champions League second-leg clash against Real Madrid looming on Tuesday, Ferguson was keen to stress the value of a strong squad in the run-up to this crucial part of the season.
And the Scot feels the quality of his current squad could be the difference in the 2012/13 campaign, claiming it could be a 'big year' for everyone involved with the club.
"In 1999 I left Paul Scholes out of the quarter-final against Inter Milan yet he was the one who scored the goal that got us through," Ferguson said.
"I left him out of the semi-final because I couldn't risk him and Roy Keane together as they were both on yellow cards. He accepted it graciously, came on, got booked and missed the final anyway.
"What did he do? He didn't let it affect him. He went on to become one of the greatest players this club has ever had.
"The players sense it could be a big year for them.
"But at this club, in this situation, anything can happen on the run-in. Players can all of a sudden find themselves playing in a final or an important league game because that is the kind of squad I have."
The 71-year-old admitted that difficulties exist when letting certain players down in naming his squad for important games, but is encouraged by the desire his current group has shown when it comes to fighting for the cause.
"It is very difficult to rotate the squad at the moment," he continued. "They all wanted to play against Real Madrid and there were a lot of disappointed players.
"That was fantastic. It is a measure of their own confidence in themselves. "But we had a chat. I said 'look, don't think for a minute losing a game for Manchester United is a trivial matter'. It is a serious matter."
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