Neville has been struggling to overcome a groin injury but came through a reserve team outing on Monday without a problem and is set to figure for Sir Alex Ferguson’s side.
Wayne Rooney, Paul Scholes and Nemanja Vidic are all suspended, Dimitar Berbatov (ankle) is out for a fortnight and Anderson is not likely to play after picking up a knee injury on World Cup duty with Brazil.
For once, though, Ferguson was happy an international break interrupted the rhythm of domestic action.
Although most of his players have been kept busy with various World Cup engagements, Ferguson managed to get away for a week’s break in France while many of his coaching staff were able to put their feet up as well.
And that could prove vital as the Reds look to stave off the renewed threat of Liverpool.
“The lads have all been away to meet up with different players in a different situation and it was possibly the right time for that to come along,” he said.
“But sometimes the staff need it more than the players.
“It was great for me. I had a week’s rest and I think we have all benefited from it.”
Ferguson certainly looked a picture of health. And he is clearly very focused, too, judging by the way he refused to discuss any issue other than the performance of his own team.
The rare occurrence of successive defeats has admittedly provided plenty to think about, although the United boss feels it has only corrected some of the over-the-top assessments of his team.
“We have had quite a hum-drum time in terms of going to Japan (for the Club World Cup), catching up the leaders and then listening to all the nonsense about how good we are,” he reflected.
“I have tried to dampen things down and dismiss all the talk about five trophies. Then the job is done by Fulham’s result.”
Ferguson did welcome son Darren and his Peterborough team to United’s Carrington training ground this morning so they could prepare for Saturday's visit to nearby Oldham.
However, his major task for the day will be finding out whether Carlos Tevez has any physical scars to go with the mental ones suffered during Argentina’s six-goal mauling by Bolivia.
As Wayne Rooney is suspended, along with Paul Scholes and Nemanja Vidic, and the ankle injury Dimitar Berbatov picked up at Craven Cottage a fortnight ago is set to keep him out for a further two weeks, Ferguson needs Tevez fit.
Yet the striker was not due back from South America until late this afternoon, one of the major reasons why Ferguson snubbed the chance to play Villa at lunchtime on Saturday.
Instead, he decided to stick with Sunday even though United must now play twice in 48 hours as FC Porto arrive for Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final.
“It was quite straightforward,” revealed Ferguson.
“If we were to play on the Saturday it would have to be lunchtime, which was crazy. As usual, TV have not done us any favours.
“We have spoken about it time after time but there is nothing you can do about it.
“It would have been a big task to play at lunchtime.
“With the extra day’s rest I am relatively confident we can get a fit team on the pitch.”
Gabriel Agbonlahor could be restored to the Aston Villa line-up as they look to end a run of eight games without a win in all competitions.
Agbonlahor was left out of the starting XI for the 5-0 mauling by Liverpool at Anfield before the international break with John Carew and Emile Heskey preferred in attack.
But Heskey is ruled out with a hamstring injury he suffered after scoring the opening goal in England’s 4-0 win over Slovakia at Wembley last weekend.
O’Neill has to decide whether left-back Wilfred Bouma is ready to play any part after eight months out of action with a dislocated ankle. He came through a third reserve game in mid-week with no ill effects.
Manchester United (from): Van der Sar, Foster, Kuszczak, Neville, O’Shea, Ferdinand, Evans, Evra, Fabio, Ronaldo, Nani, Fletcher, Gibson, Possebon, Carrick, Park, Giggs, Tevez, Welbeck.
Aston Villa (from): Friedel, Guzan, Reo-Coker, L. Young, Knight, Cuellar, Davies, Shorey, Bouma, Milner, Gardner, Petrov, Barry, Sidwell, Salifou, A. Young, Agbonlahor, Carew, Delfouneso, Heskey.
United league form: WWWLL
Aston Villa league form: LDLLL
Key opponent: Gareth Barry - Ashley Young - likely to give Neville a tough time
Prediction: United 2 Villa 0 - The Reds are strong favourites to return to winning ways
You can get 7/1 on United winning 3-0 with Betfred. For this and more odds, click here. Tweet
Comments
Login or Register to comment
Villa will score.
Villa are due a result and nullified us at Villa Park in a dour 0-0. it would be very easy to draw this game as well. Villa are a decent side and have to come out of their slump at some stage. I must admit I'm far from confident. Everything crossed! We need Ron at his best or Nani to turn up for once. Perhaps this is the game that Park becomes BobbyD's hero.
Oh noooooo not Neville ! let hope the Da Silva boys get better soon and where is Wes Brown ? anyone know ?
I'm going for this:
VDS
Gary - Rio - Evans - Evra
Ron - Carrick - Fletch - Park
Giggs
Tevez
SUBS: Foster, Eckersley, Fabio, O'Shea, Gibson, Nani, Welbeck
Foster,
Fletcher (surely better than O'Shea and a not fully fit Nev), Rio, Evans, Fabio
Nani, Carrick, Anderson (if fit,Giggs if not), Park
Tevez and Ronaldo
ATTACK! ATTACK! ATTACK!
I think United need a helping hand on Sunday.
Step up to the plate..............Mike Riley!
It wouldn't surprise me to see Villa draw since they are fighting for a Champion's League spot. Let's hope Liverpool and Chelsea drop some points. You have to fancy Newcastle for a draw. After all, in the North East, it's Messiah Time again!
Seasider - Blackpool,
Question is - who for? United WILL win -
Big mistake to put Neville in against the speed of Agbonlahor and Young. We could get exposed there.
the artist, capital of trophies, I think that you have the personnel right but I think SAF may play Fletcher on the right, Giggs central midfield and Ronaldo up front in a two. Giggs in midfield could be good. Barry is a decent player but he's left footed and moves left whenever he receives the ball in traffic. That moves him away from Giggs' patch and into Carrick and Fletcher. It also leaves Giggs with more room to move at their back line. Looking at Villa, they have a weak seam in what would have been called the inside left channel and they've experimented with various fullbacks and holding midfielders. Nothing has really worked for them there. So I expect Evra, Park and Giggs to get a lot of ball and a lot of joy getting into good positions. Then they need to produce good ball and for the forwards to get on the end of it. The only problem, whoever we play up front, is that they won't be making conventional runs because we don't do that any more!
neville en o'shea are all in the same bracket of ineffective! dear Lord, when will the next big thing in 'fabulous da silva' be back to rule our right full back?
lets hope that T&c prediction of park seeing al ot of the ball is incorrect or we are in for a very tense afternoon. you never know we might just get to see our korean double his tally for the season if we are lucky and score his 2 nd league goal.
T&C, I'd really prefer not see Fletcher on the right. I'd sooner have him in the middle with Carrick. Park & Nani wide. Or better still 433 with Tevez, Ronaldo and Giggs up front, Carrick, Fletcher and Park in the middle.
My team on Sunday would be:
Van Der Sar
Neville Ferdinand Evans Evra
Nani Carrick Giggs Park
Ronaldo Tevez
Subs:
Foster
O'Shea
Fabio
Fletcher
Anderson
Macheda
Welbeck
At the end of the day were still 1 point clear with a game in hand.A fantastic position to be in.Theres no need to panic because even IF Liverpool win all there games(which i dont belEive they will)they could still lose the league by 4 points.Lets cut out the negativity and doom and gloom and get behind the boys and roar them on to glory for the rest of the season.Come on United BELEIVE in the impossible and the 5 WILL be possible.
Alias, I was making a guess at what SAF might do. I personally would play a 4-3-3 when all are fit but maybe not against Villa when we don't have enough fit forwards.
Fletcher on the right makes sense if we want to try to exploit the Villa weakness where Giggs would play. Otherwise it doesn't. However, I don't think wing play and crosses will be the determining factor against Villa.
Bobbydazzler, I don't see why playing Park, if he's fit, would be a problem. It hasn't been all season and what are the alternatives? Nani? Tosic? They've hardly pulled up any trees this season. Before criticising United players, something you do with increasing zeal, you should consider what the alternatives are.
T&c your inference was that park would be seeing a lot of the ball. my problem is that our korean is exceedingly poor at passing ,ball retention, crossing, shooting anything other than running.
true nani has not been pulling any trees up but he has outscored park and he has had more assists as well. this from just a fraction of the games park has played.
tocsic dont tell me he is already on your black list the kid has not even had a chance yet. you dont come across as an impatient man ( hargreaves excepting) the lad needs to be introduced gradually and i am sure that eventually he will get his chance ( not 195 games though)
alias entirely sensible comment re fletch if he plays and he should it must be in central midfield where he is far more effective. the lad struggles out wide and even though he tries is best he just cant cut it out there.
as for giggs in a striking role have you gone mad? he is just about the worst option we could choose in that position.
Must win game for the reds. As for the team selection, I believe that SAF will spring a few suprises with the game on Tuesday.
bobbydazzler, inference? What I said was "So I expect Evra, Park and Giggs to get a lot of ball and a lot of joy getting into good positions." So no inference there. As for your opinions on Park, I don't share them and his nationality is irrelevant, as far as I'm concerned, so I don't know why you mention it. We all know where he's from, so we can only assume you are saying his faults in your eyes are related to his being Korean. No very big or clever that, is it?
There may be a case for playing Nani, I haven't discounted that but in his current form I'd see him more as an impact player later in a game, particularly against Villa where Giggs' role may be pivotal.
On Tosic, my point is that he has no Premiership experience to draw on, so isn't a likely replacement for Park, not that one is required, for the Villa game. Having seen Tosic in the reserves, I can't imagine him getting first team starts this season unless we really have injury problems. he'll be better after a pre-season, I suspect.
All of this is moot anyway, until we see who comes back from the International break fit.
If Nev starts ( and that's a big ask), then I expect Park will also start on the right side of mid field as the pace of Young will give Nev fits and he'll need help. If that's the case then we'll probably see Giggs, Carrick & Fletcher, with Tevez & Ronnie in the front roles. Anderson instead of Giggs if fit however. Regardless of the line up, we'll need 100% of the players giving 100% effort, as this is a watershed game indeed, and for us to lose it, well, just doesn't bear thinking about. Hopefully the players' attitudes have got sorted and at leat we give it a good go. The talent is there, we just seem to have lost the desire, effort and commitment, yet again. So, time to do the talking on the pitch and stop feeling sorry for yourselves boys. Show us you've got the balls to get it done. Narrow, ugly win for us, 2-1/ 1-0 I think, which I'll take thank you very much.
midfielders scoring vital goals hope ours come up with the goods tomorrow.
Tevez will not let us down today, I have 100% confidence in him and would like to see him partnered with Ronaldo.
bobbydazzler, you've got to hand it to our midfield. They came up trumps. Two goals and excellent displays from Carrick and Fletcher. You must be very proud.