Sir Alex Ferguson has assured Roma's 3,800 travelling fans they should have no security concerns at Old Trafford tomorrow night.

After suffering ambushes from knife-wielding fans on their way to the game and then being attacked by riot police inside the Stadio Olimpico in the first leg of United's Champions League quarter-final with AS Roma, there had been fears of reprisals when the Serie A outfit come to Old Trafford for the second leg.

The visitors have been allocated a section in the second tier of the East Stand, meaning they will be sitting at the same end of the ground as United fans.

However, despite not seeing much of the actual trouble which occurred in Rome after remaining in Italy, where the violence has not generated as much publicity as it has here, for two days after the game, Ferguson is confident Greater Manchester Police will ensure the tie passes off peacefully. "I do not anticipate any problems at all," Ferguson said. "The security at Old Trafford is fantastic. There has never been a history of trouble and the Roma fans should not fear a thing."

Leading fans' group, the Independent Manchester United Supporters Association, who are compiling a dossier of violence perpetrated against fans in the Rome last week, are also anxious the game should not provide an excuse for the Italian authorities to prove their strong-arm tactics were justified.

"We all need to make sure that there are no headlines in Manchester to wipe out the memory of those made by the Italian police last week in Rome," said IMUSA in a statement. "The Roma fans at Old Trafford on Tuesday will be just like most of our fans who went to Rome last week and will be there only to watch the football."

United, who have attacked the 'indescriminate beatings' of United supporters, are still collecting fans' accounts of last week's events but are awaiting official documentation from the Home Office over the details of their examination into the conduct of the Italians.

Uefa, who fined the Red Devils following trouble involving their supporters in the previous round against Lille, have also launched an investigation.

And Ferguson believes a full investigation by European football's governing body is the only way to get all the facts known. "We missed a lot of what was shown back here but I have seen one or two photographs that don't look very nice at all," he said. "Everyone was appalled at some of the pictures. Uefa are investigating at the moment and we should await those findings. I hope it is a thorough investigation. That is the only way you can find out what happened."