Match Preview – Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur

Competition: Barclays Premier League
Kick-Off & Date: 8pm, Monday, 22nd August 2011
Venue: Old Trafford, Manchester (Home)
Live TV Coverage: Sky Sports 1 (HD), 7pm – 10:30pm

Referee: Lee Probert (Gloucestershire, England)
Assistant Referee: David Bryan & Glenn Turner
Fourth Official: Mark Halsey
  

Form: United have been in stunning form since the agonising Champions League Final defeat to Barcelona at Wembley, winning all their pre-season tour games – including a 2-1 victory over Barca – before beating Manchester City in London to lift the FA Community Shield. West Bromwich Albion away proved rocky last weekend, but The Reds ran out winners thanks to a late Ashley Young ‘goal’ – yes, he still claims it was his. We won’t argue. 

Tottenham Hotspur smashed Heart Of Midlothian 5-0 on Thursday in the capital team’s Europe League first-leg qualifier, which took place at Tynecastle Stadium. Spurs endured a tough prep campaign, winning three games, and drawing and losing once. Harry Redknapp has signed three players over the summer, but only Brad Friedel would have been in the public domain before. Tottenham are going self-sufficient after sizeable expenditure over the years. 


The Injury Front: United will be without club captain Nemanja Vidic, while Rio Ferdinand, Rafael Da Silva, Darren Fletcher, Antonio Valencia, Javier Hernandez and Michael Owen are also ruled-out, but most nearing returns. Tomasz Kuszczak and Darron Gibson remain in the Reserves after proposed moves away from United are yet to come into fruition. Patrice Evra returns to the fray after picking-up an ankle injury in the Shield win two weeks ago. 

Squad: De Gea, Lindegaard, Smalling, Jones, Evra, Evans, Fabio, Nani, Park, Cleverley, Anderson, Carrick, Giggs, Young, Rooney, Berbatov, Welbeck, Diouf, Macheda.

Tottenham Hotspur have lost striker Robbie Keane to LA Galaxy, who scored on his debut in his introduction to American soccer. Luka Modric refuses to play for his club – in a petulant act – despite his recovery from a groin injury. Tom Huddlestone and Peter Crouch are rated doubtful, but could start on the bench. Sandro, Wilson Palacios, Steven Pienaar, Jermaine Jenas, Ledley King, Alan Hutton and William Gallas are all out with leg injuries. 

Squad: Gomes, Friedel, Cudicini, Bale, Kaboul, Bassong, Dawson, Corluka, Walker, Assou-Ekotto, Huddlestone, Lennon, Van Der Vaart, Kranjcar, Rose, Livermore, Townsend, Bentley, Pavlyuchenko, Crouch, Defoe.

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The Gaffer: Harry Redknapp likes to think of himself as a ‘wheeler dealer’, but the Tottenham chief has only bought Brad Friedel from Aston Villa in the transfer window of any note. The man who is destined for the England managerial job could yet lose playmaker Luka Modric this summer, Chelsea are keen…

Most-Feared: Rafael Van Der Vaart has become the focal point of Spurs’ midfielder over the summer as Luka Modric refuses to play. The 28-year-old former Real Madrid ace has brought further excitement to White Hart Lane, but The Theatre Of Dreams will prove a tougher test ! 

The Ref: Lee Probert wouldn’t be our first choice official here at Manchester United, but we aren’t aloud choose nor could we choose one any better. The FA are the dregs of European football when it comes to refereeing, but hopefully Probert will have a decent game. This referee issues 3 cards on average per match.

United Latest‘s Prediction: United 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur
– Wayne Rooney and Luis Nani ?