MANCHESTER UNITED v MIDDLESBROUGH - TEAM NEWS
Jeremie Aliadiere is in contention to start for Middlesbrough in Saturday's visit to Manchester United.
The French striker is back in training following a hamstring injury, meaning manager Gareth Southgate has a fully fit strikeforce to pick from for the first time since the 3-0 defeat at West Ham five weeks ago.
Defenders Robert Huth and Emanuel Pogatetz have also returned to training following respective ankle and knee operations, but the game comes too soon for both of them.
Julio Arca (knee), Brad Jones (thigh) and Matthew Bates (cruciate) remain on the injury list.
Alex Ferguson has declared Owen Hargreaves fit and ready to start the clash.
The England international has been restricted to just three appearances since his £18million move from Bayern Munich after failing to shrug off a knee problem.
However, an injection to cure swelling caused by tendinitis appears to have worked and the 26-year-old is now in line to face Boro, when victory for the Red Devils will take them back to the Premier League summit.
Hargreaves' return is particularly timely given Paul Scholes will miss out.
The former England star hurt his knee in training the day before this week's Champions League win over Dynamo Kiev and a scan to assess the problem has proved inconclusive.
Louis Saha is again unlikely to figure but Patrice Evra should be involved despite pulling out of the Kiev win with a calf strain sustained in the warm-up.
Man Utd (from): Van der Sar, Kuszczak, Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, Pique, O'Shea, Evra, Fletcher, Ronaldo, Hargreaves, Anderson, Nani, Giggs, Rooney, Tevez, Eagles, Simpson.
Middlesbrough (from): Schwarzer, Turnbull, Young, Woodgate, Riggott, Taylor, Downing, Boateng, Rochemback, Aliadiere, Mido, Sanli, O'Neil, Craddock, Lee, Wheater, Cattermole, Hutchinson.
By Bettingzone.co.uk
Used with permission.
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