Both Manchester United and Newcastle are beset by injury worries ahead of tonight’s match at Old Trafford.
The match itself could be interesting with Newcastle newly re-promoted to the Premier League drawing one of the toughest opponents in their opening match; they would have preferred not to play the Red Devils at this early stage of the competition.
It is more than eight years since the Magpies last beat Sir Alex’s squad; most games between the sides have been one-sided, although Newcastle did manage a draw in the opening match of the 2008-09 season.
Newcastle would dearly love to return to the days when they were consistently among the contenders for a top four spot.
For Manchester United, the Newcastle game presents an opportunity to announce their title aspirations loudly on the opening day of the Premiership, with an emphatic win over a side that has been a favourite whipping horse in past years.
Last year, the Red Devils finished runners up, no mean achievement given that they were without Carlos Tevez and Cristiano Ronaldo. Nani and Valencia have proved more than adequate replacements for the Argentine and Portuguese players.
Manchester United had a lot of positives to take away from the Community Shield against Chelsea. Rooney showed signs of return to form after an indifferent World Cup, and Evens and Vidic coped in defence without Ferdinand.
The Old Trafford squad will have to do without Ferdinand, Anderson and Hargreaves, with all three nursing knee injuries. Ferdinand has been injury prone in recent times, causing the England captain to miss the World Cup in South Africa. But it is in United’s interest to have Ferdinand fit and running as soon as possible, as they need his experience in the back-line.
For Newcastle, the match will be a shock transition from the Championships to top flight football. How they perform will determine how well they can cope during the long season. They will be helped in this by a number of players in their ranks with Premier League experience, such as Nolan, Barton and Gutierrez. In Guthrie and Caroll, they have exciting players.
Newcastle United will be without Best and Simpson, both with ankle injuries, apart from Gosling with a knee injury, and Taylor with a shoulder problem.
Smith is uncertain of starting for Newcastle; there might be a late check on his match fitness, as he is reportedly not fully recovered from an ankle injury.
The best that Newcastle can hope for from this match is a point; the Old Trafford squad will try and ensure they bank all three.
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