Interesting team news for Fulham. It looks like Chris Baird will return to central midfield for the tough test against Manchester United replacing Dickson Etuhu with Stephen Kelly coming in at right back. Danny Murphy has been passed fit to partner the Northern Ireland international in midfield, while Clint Dempsey starts in place of Damien Duff. Nicky Shorey is back at left back having missed Thursday’s defeat in Turin as he is ineligible for Fulham’s Europa League campaign.

United’s team is, almost as expected, the only possible surprise being Gary Neville retaining his place from Wednesday’s canter past AC Milan. It’s Carrick and Fletcher in central midfield, with Scholes on the bench.

MANCHESTER UNITED (4-4-2): van der Sar; G. Neville, Evra, Ferdinand, Vidic; Carrick, Fletcher, Nani, Valencia; Berbatov, Rooney. Subs: Kuszczak, Fabio, Gill, Scholes, Park, Obertan, Diouf.

FULHAM (4-4-1-1): Schwarzer; Kelly, Shorey, Hangeland, Hughes; Baird, Murphy, Davies, Dempsey; Gera; Zamora. Subs: Zuberbuhler, Stoor, Greening, Dikgacoi, Duff, Okaka, Nevland.