Ryan Giggs' absence in the Champions League match at the Nou Camp was representative of the decline of the greatest left-winger to grace the Premier League over the past decade. Unfortunately for the Welsh wonder, his underwhelming season has not gone unnoticed by Sir Alex Ferguson, with Ji-Sung Park the immediate beneficiary against Barcelona.

So we are left wondering, with Giggs' crown as the most-gifted left winger slowly slipping from his grasp, who will steal his title?

Manchester United are hoping Nani will prove a long-term replacement for Giggs down the left touchline. As Arsenal and Fulham can attest, the Portuguese youngster has shown flashes of brilliance this season, contributing four goals, making him the fifth highest scorer for the champions-elect this term.

'Nani's game suffers slightly on the left-hand side due to his tendency to naturally rely on his right foot. He gives opposition full-backs a slight advantage which true left-wingers minimise'


But Nani's game suffers slightly on the left-hand side due to his tendency to naturally rely on his right foot. He gives opposition full-backs a slight advantage which true left-wingers minimise - as he lacks a certain amount of unpredictability, more often than not he is caught looking to cut inside on his right foot.

Right-footed wingers are nevertheless commonplace in the Premier League. There is good reason, however, as the righties stuck on the left are (generally) blessed with fabulous ball control, crisp passing skills, and overall the ability to penetrate the opposition's defence. Think Steed Malbranque at Spurs, Nico Krancjar at Portsmouth, Ryan Babel at Liverpool, and Ashley Young at Aston Villa.

However, to traditionalists the best left-sided players always have a sweet left foot. Such natural left-wingers exist in Premier League squads up and down the country, but strangely injury seems to have uniformly plagued their seasons, and only a few of these players have shown any progression in the past 12 months.

Perhaps the greatest unknown in this regard is West Ham's Julien Faubert. The hapless Frenchman was forced to miss the whole season after suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon in pre-season following his £6.1m move from Bordeaux. To a slightly lesser degree, the same fate befell Newcastle duo of Damien Duff and Charles N'zogbia, who have barely shown their faces this season suffering from respective injuries. Across in Wearside the same story is true of Kieran Richardson, who missed the majority of the year for Sunderland after an injured-ravaged season.

Then there is Wigan's Kevin Kilbane, who continuously seems to punch above his weight, establishing himself as a solid left-winger in the top flight. However, this 'solid' tag is also what prevents Kilbane ever achieving greatness, as he will always be an industrious football rather than a top-class winger.

Stuart Downing also suffers from a lack of spark. The Middlesbrough man has built his career on the basis of consistency, concentrating on delivering neat crosses with his tidy left foot. But he is devoid of a sharp burst of pace, and never looks like producing a match-winning performance on the big stage. This makes him the perfect fall-guy, most commonly evidenced with his regular England call-ups without making any telling appearances.

For the past few seasons, Blackburn's Morten Gamst-Pedersen looked capable of seizing Giggs' mantle. Back in 2005, his volley against Fulham and brace at Old Trafford suggested the Norwegian international could be the real deal. Pedersen struggled to recapture his very best form in the 2006/07 season, struggling with a rib injury, but he still registered six goals and 11 assists. Yet his steady decline has continued in the last 12 months, with his current campaign being his worst since arriving in England.

After excluding all the competition, arguably the best left-winger in England today is Manchester City's Martin Petrov. A fine left peg, blistering pace, and a nose for scoring goals has seen his value sky-rocket in his debut season. True, Petrov and City have slightly fallen away in the back-end of the season, but his impact during his first few months at Eastlands is without one of the key factors for what will be City's first top-ten finish in years.

But with that being said, Petrov only appears to be the best of the rest and he will need a second convincing season to truly be confirmed as a challenger for Giggs' crown.