Manchester United Fans Club

Manchester United travel to Craven Cottage for the 28th games of the season, a crucial game for United who is trailing Arsenal by 3 points in Barclay Premier League table.

Ryan Giggs is set to miss Saturday match as he rests a strained calf. The former Welsh midfielder looks likely to sit out the game with a Champions League date to follow on Tuesday against Lyon at Old Trafford.

Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra have recovered from a calf strain and a stomach virus respectively but Gary Neville and Mikael Silvestre remain sidelined as United aim to close a three points gap on leaders Arsenal.

But Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted he is wary that Chelsea could come up on the rails and take the Barclays Premier League title from under the noses of the top two.

Avram Grant’s side are nine points adrift of Arsenal and six behind United but have a game in hand on both their rivals. “The number of points Chelsea are behind Arsenal is not insurmountable because in this Premier League points can be dropped,” the United boss told www.leaguemanagers.com.

“The fact that they have got us and Arsenal at home, and their home record is so good, you would have to think they have still got a big chance in the Premier League.”

Meanwhile, United is set to continue their recent good form since the last defeat by neighbour Manchester City at Old Trafford. Since then, United had beat Arsenal 4-0 at Old Trafford in the FA Cup 5th round, scoring 5 goals at St. James Park in a 5-1 win over Newcastle.

With the likes of gifted young star like Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez, Anderson and Nani on the books, it is little wonder the manager looks forward with optimism as they chase a second successive title.

Ferguson said: “The players have that joy of being at a club with a lot of ambition. “It is good to see young players having the energy and the commitment to try and enjoy themselves.

Fulham manager Roy Hodgson insists that victory against the champions is a must if the Cottagers are to avoid being sucked further into the relegation mire.”We need to win,” said Hodgson. “We need to win our home games and some away games as well.

“We will concentrate on preparing the team for the game and getting the maximum out of the 11 players and I hope the performances will give us the results we need.

“There is an element of luck and sometimes you can play well and lose, or play badly and win. “I am very much aware that wins are the order of the day for us and if we don’t get some soon then our predicament will worsen.”

Fulham have 11 games to change their fortunes around but Hodgson is well aware that results of other teams will also play a part in their destiny. He explained: “We are not alone in the position we find ourselves in.

“There are as many as six or seven clubs who are not 100% confident that they are not going to get drawn into a relegation battle and find themselves needing points in the last few games of the season.

“It depends not only upon us and the wins we’re getting but it also depends on what’s going on around us.

“If we work on the basis that 40 points is a minimum then it’s pretty easy to work out how many wins we’ll need - but I don’t know how many points will be sufficient for safety this year.”

Meanwhile Fulham defender Brede Hangeland is ready to do battle with United once more on Saturday after tasting victory over the Reds while with FC Copenhagen last season.

Hangeland may be a newcomer to the Barclays Premier League, having joined Fulham during the January transfer window, but the tall defender knows just what it takes to beat Sir Alex Ferguson’s champions.

The Norwegian played in both of FC Copenhagen’s Champions League ties against United last season - a 3-0 defeat at Old Trafford and a 1-0 victory in Denmark.

“That was one of the biggest games I’ve played and if we could do it again it would be equally as big,” said Hangeland.

“We played above our level and I think you have to do that to beat Manchester United. We’ll have to do that on Saturday if we want to win. “They’re a fantastic side with world class players all over the field and we should look forward to the occasion.

“I’ll do the job the manager tells me to do, if it’s marking Wayne Rooney or whoever, I’ll do my best.” “We are fortunate in that it is easier for them, than a lot of other players because they are exceptional talents.”

United probable line up: Van der Sar (G), Wes Brown (D), Nemanja Vidic (D), Rio Ferdinand (D), Patrice Evra (D), Michael Carrick (M) Paul Scholes (M), Cristiano Ronaldo (M), Ryan Giggs (M), Carlos Tevez (S), Wayne Rooney (S)

Venue: Craven Cottage, 15:00 UK
Predict Score: Fulham 0-2 Manchester United