SALFORD RED
04-04-2008, 09:27 PM
Manchester United take on Middlesbrough
at the Riverside, knowing that victory in
their next four games would see them
retaining the Premier League title at
Chelsea on Saturday lunchtime, 26 April.
Gary Neville returns to the Manchester United
squad for the first time in a year, following
an ankle injury.
With Mikael Silvestre also fit, United have
good cover for defender Nemanja Vidic,
who is out with a knee injury.
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson
on defender Nemanja Vidic's injury:
"Of course he is a loss but I think we can cope.
"If we cannot, there is something wrong.
We are very well covered in his position.
"I thought Rio [Ferdinand] was particularly
impressive in the second half against Roma.
He also has the pace to deal with players
who try to get beyond him."
Tuesday's 0-2 victory over AS Roma in Italy in the Champions League was Sir Alex Ferguson's 1,200th match in charge of the Red Devils. Sir Alex has now overseen a fifth of United's league games in their entire history and is eager to lead them to a 10th Premier League crown, which would also be the 17th time they were installed champions of England - one behind Liverpool's record 18.
Middlesbrough have won 20 of 70 Premier League games under Gareth Southgate, who's looking for an improvement on their 12th placed finish last season.
The Riversiders have a comfortable eight point cushion between themselves and the relegation zone, but would dearly love to register their 100th all-time home win in the Premier League in this fixture.
United have won three times as many league games as Boro this season (24 to eight), scored 40 more goals (68 to 28), conceded 30 fewer (15 to 45); while the Teessiders have lost 10 more (14 to four).
This is the 100th league meeting of Middlesbrough and Manchester United, and the Red Devils are looking for their 50th win.
Manchester United (from): Van der Sar, Neville, Brown, Ferdinand, Silvestre, Evra, O'Shea, Ronaldo, Scholes, Anderson, Hargreaves, Carrick, Giggs, Park, Rooney, Tevez, Kuszczak, Foster, Pique, Welbeck.
Middlesbrough (from): Schwarzer, Turnbull, Young, Wheater, Pogatetz, Huth, Taylor, Grounds, O'Neil, Boateng, Rochemback, Shawky, Downing, Johnson, Cattermole, Tuncay, Alves, Aliadiere.
at the Riverside, knowing that victory in
their next four games would see them
retaining the Premier League title at
Chelsea on Saturday lunchtime, 26 April.
Gary Neville returns to the Manchester United
squad for the first time in a year, following
an ankle injury.
With Mikael Silvestre also fit, United have
good cover for defender Nemanja Vidic,
who is out with a knee injury.
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson
on defender Nemanja Vidic's injury:
"Of course he is a loss but I think we can cope.
"If we cannot, there is something wrong.
We are very well covered in his position.
"I thought Rio [Ferdinand] was particularly
impressive in the second half against Roma.
He also has the pace to deal with players
who try to get beyond him."
Tuesday's 0-2 victory over AS Roma in Italy in the Champions League was Sir Alex Ferguson's 1,200th match in charge of the Red Devils. Sir Alex has now overseen a fifth of United's league games in their entire history and is eager to lead them to a 10th Premier League crown, which would also be the 17th time they were installed champions of England - one behind Liverpool's record 18.
Middlesbrough have won 20 of 70 Premier League games under Gareth Southgate, who's looking for an improvement on their 12th placed finish last season.
The Riversiders have a comfortable eight point cushion between themselves and the relegation zone, but would dearly love to register their 100th all-time home win in the Premier League in this fixture.
United have won three times as many league games as Boro this season (24 to eight), scored 40 more goals (68 to 28), conceded 30 fewer (15 to 45); while the Teessiders have lost 10 more (14 to four).
This is the 100th league meeting of Middlesbrough and Manchester United, and the Red Devils are looking for their 50th win.
Manchester United (from): Van der Sar, Neville, Brown, Ferdinand, Silvestre, Evra, O'Shea, Ronaldo, Scholes, Anderson, Hargreaves, Carrick, Giggs, Park, Rooney, Tevez, Kuszczak, Foster, Pique, Welbeck.
Middlesbrough (from): Schwarzer, Turnbull, Young, Wheater, Pogatetz, Huth, Taylor, Grounds, O'Neil, Boateng, Rochemback, Shawky, Downing, Johnson, Cattermole, Tuncay, Alves, Aliadiere.