Sir Alex Ferguson insists he would place a “big bet” on Cristiano Ronaldo remaining at Manchester United after the Champions League final against Chelsea tomorrow evening.

The United manager was responding to reports that Real Madrid remain interested in the Portuguese forward. Ferguson was adamant the player is staying at the club, and responded to a Spanish journalist’s question by saying: “You get some idiots in this place don’t you? If you want to have a bet on it, I’ll put a big bet on with you.”

Ferguson is determined to win in Moscow and admitted United’s record in Europe is a “weakness” for a club of their size. They have won the competition only twice, a record dwarfed by Real Madrid’s nine European Cups and Liverpool’s five.

“There is a weakness in the European trophies we’ve won and I hope we can go some way to making that better tomorrow," Ferguson said. "We have had ten days’ good preparation, it has helped staff more than the players. It’s a long season and we all feel the strains and stresses of it.

“It’s given the players the opportunity to do some serious work on the training field and we’re in our best shape for this game.”

United and Chelsea have one win apiece in the matches involving them this season but Rio Ferdinand and Wes Brown, the United defenders, say those games will have no bearing on tomorrow night.

“Form goes out the window, on the day it’s who performs," Ferdinand said. Brown added: “In the league we both won once, but this is a cup final. We know the players, it’s a one-off match and we will definitely be prepared to beat them."

Ferguson confirmed that defender Nemanja Vidic was fit and would play, but admitted that selecting his side - particularly his substitutes - was proving no easy task.

He said: “I will tell the players tomorrow afternoon. It is not easy, but I have got a team in mind. I think it is the right team.”

Ferguson believes he will have a stronger bench available than he did for last season’s FA Cup Final when his side were beaten by Chelsea at Wembley.

“I think that is the main difference from the FA Cup Final last year,” he said. “I think with seven substitutes you hope at least three will have an impact.

“With three out of the seven, the ones you make have to have an impact. I have to give a lot of consideration to the players on the bench.

“I wish it was 11 substitutes, it would make my job easier.”

On his own feelings before the match, Ferguson added: “It is not as though it is my first final, it is my fourth European final.

“The one person who should not be nervous is myself. I have got to use my experience and composure to hopefully help everyone else.”