Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has predicted that English clubs will once again dominate this season’s UEFA Champions League as the rest of Europe struggles to keep up.

Speaking ahead of his side's clash with Russian giants CSKA Moscow, Fergie fired a word of warning to the rest of Europe on a day when UEFA president Michel Platini criticized the way in which Premier League clubs have gone about their business financially, in particular the wave of foreign ownership sweeping the English game.

Since Liverpool lifted the famous big-eared trophy in 2005 for the fifth time, the following four finals have featured an English side and in 2008 Europe witnessed a first ever all English final between Manchester United and Chelsea.

Likewise, last season's semi-finals featured no fewer than three English clubs, just as it did in 2008, reaffirming the view that it is the Premier League clubs who are currently setting the pace in Europe's elite competition.

And Fergie believes that the trend is set to continue this season.

"The English teams will be involved in the semi-finals again," he was quoted as saying by Sky Sports.

"They have been very dominant in the tournament for the last six or seven years. That is shown by the evidence of the latter stages and I think it will be the same this year," he affirmed.

Barcelona broke the English monopoly after they downed both Chelsea and United on their way to lifting the cup last season, and Fergie concedes that Pep Guardiola's men will be there to scupper English hopes again this time around.

"Obviously Barcelona are one of the favourites. You cannot dismiss them," he stressed, "but there is no question in my mind that the English teams will compete for the trophy."