Manchester United’s players were at the centre of a security scare in China yesterday when a pitch invasion by up to 800 fanatical supporters forced them to cut short an open training session in Guangzhou.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and their teammates were forced to flee to the dressing-room to avoid the attentions of the autograph-hunters, who had evaded the minimal security checks in place at the Olympic Stadium.

United play the final match of their tour to Asia against Guangzhou Pharmaceutical today, with Owen Hargreaves, their signing from Bayern Munich, again missing because of the knee problem that has forced him to sit out all four matches.

Nani, a fellow newcomer, is expected to play, but the Portuguese youngster has been urged by Sir Alex Ferguson, the manager, to abandon his trademark somersault celebration to avoid suffering an injury.

The match could be the last in a United shirt for Alan Smith, who is attracting strong interest from Ever-ton and Middlesbrough, and Mikaël Silvestre, the defender, who is the subject of a bid from an unnamed overseas club.

Smith is likely to be sold even before United know whether they have been successful in signing Carlos Tévez from West Ham United, but Silvestre’s situation is complicated by Liverpool’s interest in Gabriel Heinze, with Ferguson unwilling to sell both defenders.