The teenage striker helped United to the trophy last season and has played a key role in their run to the last four this time around.
But it remains to be seen if Ferguson will stick to his policy of playing youth and fringe members of his squad after the Premier League champions were drawn against City.
Welbeck believes he and the likes of Federico Macheda, Darron Gibson, the Da Silva twins and Ritchie de Laet can lead United to Wembley - and wants to be given the chance to prove that against Mark Hughes' moneybags side.
He said: "It's a competition where the boss likes to give the youngsters a chance to show what they can do and what your abilities are.
"It's a different level and all the younger players who are selected relish the challenge.
"It was the first trophy I'd won with United's first team and it was such a great buzz. Just to win a trophy at the biggest club in the world was massive. I just want to feel like that again, year after year."
Ferguson decision
Just this week Ferguson insisted his latest crop of starlets could follow in the footsteps of Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and David Beckham and become United legends.
They repaid the manager's faith with a 2-0 win against Tottenham in the Carling Cup quarter-finals to set up a mouth-watering semi-final double header against City.
But City proved they have the experience to blast away even the most talented of young sides with their 3-0 win against Arsenal on Wednesday.
The dilemma for Ferguson is whether he can risk playing such a young side when local bragging rights are at stake.
Hughes admits he is unsure whether the United boss will stick to his youth policy given the magnitude of the occasion.
"We will have to wait and see whether Sir Alex does stick with the youngsters," he said.
Accomplished
"But the kids there are very good - they played an almost full strength Tottenham side and won quite comfortably.
"Whoever he picks, it will be an accomplished side but we believe we can compete with anyone in the Premier League.
"Maybe this draw was meant to be. Two games against United will focus everyone's energies.
"When we play like we did on Wednesday we don't fear anyone, and we would back ourselves over two legs against anybody - including United.
"Over two games we will have a real go at it. We have taken this competition seriously from the off and we have needed to because in certain games we came close to slipping out if we hadn't been as strong as we were.
"Perhaps we have got the reward that our respect for the competition deserves."
The first leg of the semi-final will be played at Eastlands on January 6, which is live on BBC, with the return leg on January 19, live on Sky.
Should Ferguson stick with the kids for the semi-final clash with City? Have your say.
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Monkey tennis?, yes please (04/12/2009 at 09:45)
Why don't the journalists read what's been written before... it seems the consensus is to play a similar team to which beat spurs with a few first teamers on the bench.
It's another semi - great, now move on, we've got the champions league group to finish off, we've got to slap leeds (i presume) all over the place and we've got plenty of premier league games to win.
bobbydazzler (04/12/2009 at 09:51)
Mrs Fullaway's lodger (04/12/2009 at 10:05)
stevi, france (04/12/2009 at 10:27)
United 18, Huddersfield Town 3, City 2 (League Titles), Wilmslow (04/12/2009 at 10:35)
4/12/2009 at 10:05
Isn't it half term for Danny and he can't access the internet now he cant get on the school computers?!
Hopefully that plonker has gone for good.
Anyway, I reckon united should play the kids against the berties in the first leg and then if we are drawing or losing after that game, play the first team. After all, our kids beat Tottenham's first team and they are better than city's first team.
Steve from Hyde, Tameside (04/12/2009 at 10:44)
Isn't it strange when any mention of Man C has the tag "moneybags side" attached to it by moron reporters, is it any different from Man U's "moneybags squad" which also cost in excess of £200 million or indeed Chelsea's "moneybags squad"?
World-wide-United, Not-in-wasteland (04/12/2009 at 11:04)
my team from is:
Kutzchack
Da silva brown vidic De laet
Obertan Fletcher Anderson Giggs
Berbatov
Macheda
Roony, welbeck, valencia, schols, VDS, nani, ( as Subs)
lawman (04/12/2009 at 11:56)
You still don't get it do you dummy? The money spent by United was EARNED by United not some rich arab or dodgy russian. VERY big difference, that's why if you ever do manage to win anything in the next 10 years or so, most fans of other clubs wont see it as any sort of achievment
david renshaw (04/12/2009 at 12:32)
If Utd were offered money - eg if the Glaziers were rich - would they reject it- I doubt it?
It is about attracting money, and City have done that. Also, Utd arguably didn't 'earn' their money in the 70s and 80s, when they went through their 26 year drought- the reason for their global appeal emanated from the Munich Air Crash.
Ste , Cheshire (04/12/2009 at 12:35)
david renshaw (04/12/2009 at 12:35)
If the Glaziers were rich, instead of in debt, would you reject their money - I think not?
Part of business is about attracting money and investment, and City have done that.
Utd only did it in the 26 year drought years, on the back of the Busby Babes legacy - how else would you account for their world/Far East appeal, when they'd done nothing that Celtic, Real, Liverpool, Forest etc had done?
Im in, Chorlton cum Hardy (04/12/2009 at 13:01)
The average age of the team that beat Spuds was 25.
Funny enough the avaerage age of the City team that beat Arsenal was ......................................................25.
Keep on lying to yourselves rags, the futures bright...the futures blue
Yaba Daba Blue (04/12/2009 at 13:04)
Hardly kids.
United 18, Huddersfield Town 3, City 2 (League Titles), Wilmslow (04/12/2009 at 13:04)
4/12/2009 at 12:32 & 12:35
Thanks for clarifying that for us all twice, and to say United worldwide appeal is down to the Munich Air Crash is laughable. Torino anybody ?
Noddy (04/12/2009 at 13:05)
You still don't get it do you dummy? The money spent by United was EARNED by United not some rich arab or dodgy russian. VERY big difference, that's why if you ever do manage to win anything in the next 10 years or so, most fans of other clubs wont see it as any sort of achievment
lawman,
4/12/2009 at 11:56
Are you stupid or what?
How can you say the money was earned when you have such a huge debt. Any money that has been generated by your club adds up to less than you have borrowed. The only way you can say that you have earned the money, is if you are debt free. If I go to the bank today and borrow 50 grand have I earned it? Before you were bought out by the yanks you had every right to bleat on about how you earned the money you spent but unfortunately, those days have gone. Even if you get bought out by some billionaire you will be in the same place as us. The only way you will ever be able to say that you have generated the money yourselves is if the yanks pay off the debt, and even then you did it with the help of the American bail out. And we all know that that's not going to happen.