Rio Ferdinand returns for Manchester United's Barclays Premier League clash against Chelsea at Old Trafford.
Ferdinand has missed four games with a back injury but will face the Blues on Sunday after returning to training this week.
Apart from Wes Brown and long-term casualty Owen Hargreaves United have a full-strength squad available as Patrice Evra is back after a four-match ban.
Ahead of the clash, United' Darren Fletcher has said he expects the Premier League title to go right down to the wire this season.
Manchester United entertain Chelsea looking to close the gap on current table-toppers Liverpool.
Given they have two home games in hand on both their main rivals and have already played most of the top flight's big guns in the first half of the campaign, United are quietly pleased with the present position.
However, Fletcher feels it is unlikely a mid-season surge will take the Red Devils clear this term.
United only won their 17th league title on the final day of the previous campaign. And the Scotland star is predicting an even tighter contest this time around.
"It is going the distance," said Fletcher.
"The Premier League has been very competitive one and very unpredictable this season.
"Any team can get a result against all the others and even at the top, you cannot discount anyone after just one bad result.
"I know recently people have tended to say it will only take one defeat to put you out of the title race but I don't think it will be like that this time.
"It will be very close right until the end.
"But we have experienced it before and we will be ready again."
While Fletcher is expecting both Liverpool and Chelsea to last the pace, there are some who suggest the challenge of Luiz Felipe Scolari's men will be almost over should they suffer their first away defeat of the season.
Victory for United would take them to within a point of the Blues - and they would still have two games in hand.
It is a situation some might have expected from what they regarded as a transitional season at Stamford Bridge. Fletcher is not sure there is any such thing.
"I don't think you can have a transitional season at a club like Chelsea or Manchester United," he said.
"You are not allowed them. You just have to keep being successful."
Chelsea welcome back captain John Terry following his three-match ban for a dismissal against Everton. Michael Ballack is also available following his one-match suspension against Southend.
Right-back Jose Bosingwa should have recovered from a slight knock but defender Alex and winger Florent Malouda are out with hamstring problems.
Goalkeeper Petr Cech, rested against Southend, should return.
Luiz Felipe Scolari insists Chelsea's top stars are just as good as Manchester United's wing wizard Cristiano Ronaldo.
Scolari will need to stop Ronaldo from taking his side apart but the Brazilian coach is adamant that Chelsea have players who can match the skills of the United superstar.
Scolari managed Ronaldo when he was in charge of the Portugal national team and defenders Jose Bosingwa, Ricardo Carvalho and Paulo Ferreira have all played alongside the United trickster as well as midfielder Deco.
Ronaldo, who is set to collect the `World Player of the Year' award next week, is expected to play against the Blues despite writing off his Ferrari sports car in an accident on Thursday.
But while Scolari accepts that Ronaldo will be United's main threat, he believes Chelsea possess players of a similar match-winning calibre.
"Ronaldo is a player that can change the game," said Scolari. "When you expect him to dribble left he dribbles right, when you expect him to shoot left he shoots right.
"He jumps very well and is a very intelligent player. He can change the game. For me last season he was the best in the world, for sure. This season maybe some other players are in a better condition.
"I have players who do not have Ronaldo's characteristics, but I have players who have fantasy. They cross very well, pass very well and dribble, but Ronaldo is a different player with a different style.
"We do not have players here with the same style, but we have some players as good as Ronaldo. Maybe this season a Chelsea player will be in the top five players in the world."
He added: "United have a good balance. They choose their players very well and have a good balance. I prepare the same for every game, whether it's the World Cup final or with Chelsea. I prepare my team the same the every game - Southend, Burnley, Manchester United and Arsenal. For me it's the same - it's three points. It's no different."
hehe..artikel ni d copy paste dari espnstar.com semata untuk menyemarakkan game of titan... aku tak mau ulas panjang2, baca la sendiri.. apa yg penting Sabah menang 2-0 liga perdana Jumaat lepas, walaupun liputan tidak diberi perhatian kepada skuad Badax ni..alasan kerana ini skuad liga perdana, liga bawahan...aku sentiasa menyokong bola tempatan Sabah Tatap! adios...
Ferdinand has missed four games with a back injury but will face the Blues on Sunday after returning to training this week.
Apart from Wes Brown and long-term casualty Owen Hargreaves United have a full-strength squad available as Patrice Evra is back after a four-match ban.
Ahead of the clash, United' Darren Fletcher has said he expects the Premier League title to go right down to the wire this season.
Manchester United entertain Chelsea looking to close the gap on current table-toppers Liverpool.
Given they have two home games in hand on both their main rivals and have already played most of the top flight's big guns in the first half of the campaign, United are quietly pleased with the present position.
However, Fletcher feels it is unlikely a mid-season surge will take the Red Devils clear this term.
United only won their 17th league title on the final day of the previous campaign. And the Scotland star is predicting an even tighter contest this time around.
"It is going the distance," said Fletcher.
"The Premier League has been very competitive one and very unpredictable this season.
"Any team can get a result against all the others and even at the top, you cannot discount anyone after just one bad result.
"I know recently people have tended to say it will only take one defeat to put you out of the title race but I don't think it will be like that this time.
"It will be very close right until the end.
"But we have experienced it before and we will be ready again."
While Fletcher is expecting both Liverpool and Chelsea to last the pace, there are some who suggest the challenge of Luiz Felipe Scolari's men will be almost over should they suffer their first away defeat of the season.
Victory for United would take them to within a point of the Blues - and they would still have two games in hand.
It is a situation some might have expected from what they regarded as a transitional season at Stamford Bridge. Fletcher is not sure there is any such thing.
"I don't think you can have a transitional season at a club like Chelsea or Manchester United," he said.
"You are not allowed them. You just have to keep being successful."
Chelsea welcome back captain John Terry following his three-match ban for a dismissal against Everton. Michael Ballack is also available following his one-match suspension against Southend.
Right-back Jose Bosingwa should have recovered from a slight knock but defender Alex and winger Florent Malouda are out with hamstring problems.
Goalkeeper Petr Cech, rested against Southend, should return.
Luiz Felipe Scolari insists Chelsea's top stars are just as good as Manchester United's wing wizard Cristiano Ronaldo.
Scolari will need to stop Ronaldo from taking his side apart but the Brazilian coach is adamant that Chelsea have players who can match the skills of the United superstar.
Scolari managed Ronaldo when he was in charge of the Portugal national team and defenders Jose Bosingwa, Ricardo Carvalho and Paulo Ferreira have all played alongside the United trickster as well as midfielder Deco.
Ronaldo, who is set to collect the `World Player of the Year' award next week, is expected to play against the Blues despite writing off his Ferrari sports car in an accident on Thursday.
But while Scolari accepts that Ronaldo will be United's main threat, he believes Chelsea possess players of a similar match-winning calibre.
"Ronaldo is a player that can change the game," said Scolari. "When you expect him to dribble left he dribbles right, when you expect him to shoot left he shoots right.
"He jumps very well and is a very intelligent player. He can change the game. For me last season he was the best in the world, for sure. This season maybe some other players are in a better condition.
"I have players who do not have Ronaldo's characteristics, but I have players who have fantasy. They cross very well, pass very well and dribble, but Ronaldo is a different player with a different style.
"We do not have players here with the same style, but we have some players as good as Ronaldo. Maybe this season a Chelsea player will be in the top five players in the world."
He added: "United have a good balance. They choose their players very well and have a good balance. I prepare the same for every game, whether it's the World Cup final or with Chelsea. I prepare my team the same the every game - Southend, Burnley, Manchester United and Arsenal. For me it's the same - it's three points. It's no different."
hehe..artikel ni d copy paste dari espnstar.com semata untuk menyemarakkan game of titan... aku tak mau ulas panjang2, baca la sendiri.. apa yg penting Sabah menang 2-0 liga perdana Jumaat lepas, walaupun liputan tidak diberi perhatian kepada skuad Badax ni..alasan kerana ini skuad liga perdana, liga bawahan...aku sentiasa menyokong bola tempatan Sabah Tatap! adios...
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