Premiership
Madejski Stadium
Saturday, 19 January; KO: 15:00 BST

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Premiership Table:


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Sir Alex Ferguson will be hoping that his side’s goal spree continues and that there is no repeat of the opening day scoreless draw
when United face Reading at the Madejski Stadium this weekend.



Form guide:



have lost four of their last six games,
against Portsmouth, Aston Villa and twice against Tottenham, including Wednesday’s FA Cup replay defeat against Spurs
which would have given them a fourth round clash with the Reds.


go into this match having won five of their last six games,
culminating in last weekend's


6-0 demolition job against Newcastle


Ins and outs:




Louis Saha (knee) should be available again after missing the Newcastle game,
while Wes Brown, who was also absent last week, returns after suspension.



may be without defender Michael Duberry (knee) and midfielder John Oster (ankle), who are still recovering from injuries,
while Emerse Fae and Andre Bikey are away at the African Nations Cup.


Star men:



Dave Kitson
is the Premier League's highest-scoring British player with eight goals,
while team-mate


Kevin Doyle
has reportedly attracted interest from Chelsea and Aston Villa.

For



Cristiano Ronaldo
will be fresh from his hat-trick last Saturday which took him to 22 goals for the season.
Against Reading he will no doubt be looking to equal, or even pass, last season's total of 23.


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BIG-MATCH FACTS



are vying for a fourth straight win in league and cup to stay ahead of Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table.

Reading are battling to avoid a fourth successive league defeat to maintain their two point cushion ahead of the relegation zone.

United are equal on points with Arsenal but have a superior goal difference of seven, helped by their 6-0 hammering of Newcastle last Saturday;
they have won 10 more matches than Reading and lost nine fewer.

This match pits the joint weakest defence in the highest league with the sharpest attack.
Reading have shipped 47 goals (30 more than the Red Devils);
United have scored 44 (14 more than the Royals).

United have scored two goals per Premier League game on average;
and conceded one every two matches.

The Red Devils are the Premier League's most dangerous club in the last 10 minutes when 11 goals have been scored;
the Royals are the most vulnerable then, with 11 goals conceded in that closing period.

Reading have never beaten Manchester United in a league match, but they did hold them to a goalless draw on the opening day of the season,
the only side to return with a point from Old Trafford this season.

CLUB FORM:

Club stats
Fixtures

KEY PLAYER NOTES





Dave KITSON is Reading's top scorer with eight Premier League goals.
He is joint 10th in the Premier League top scorers list, and the highest Englishman.

Leroy LITA needs to score one to total 50 career league goals (Bristol City and Reading).

Marcus HAHNEMANN is the only remaining player to have been involved in every minute of every one of Reading's Premier League matches this term.

Ibrahima SONKO received the fastest red card in Premier League history, when sent off in the fourth minute against Portsmouth on New Years Day.


If on the field from the outset:-

KITSON will be playing two days before his 28th birthday.

Bobby CONVEY will be making his 100th club appearance - all for the Royals.

Brynjar GUNNARSSON will be making his 300th appearance for an English club (Stoke, Nottingham Forest, Watford and Reading).

Graeme MURTY will be making his 300th league appearance for Reading.

If on the field from the outset:-

MURTY will be making his 400th career league start (York and Reading).







Cristiano RONALDO
is Manchester United's top scorer with 22 goals.

RONALDO is also their leading Premier League marksman with 16, and leads the race for the Barclays Golden Boot.

If selected:-

Ji-Sung PARK will be making his 50th Premier League appearance for Manchester United.

If on the field from the outset:-

Wayne ROONEY will be making his 200th club career start (Everton and Manchester United).

Chris EAGLES will be making his 50th club league start (Manchester United, Watford and Sheffield Wednesday).

Long term injury, Gary NEVILLE will be making his 350th Premier League start for Manchester United.

HEAD TO HEAD

--------------------- Hahnemann ---------------------
Murty ------- Sonko -------------- Ingimarsson -------- Shorey
Ki-Hyeon---- Sidwell ----------------- Harper -------- Convey
------------- Doyle --------------- Lita ------------


--------------------- Rooney ---------------------------
------------------------------Scholes ----------------
Richardson ------ Fletcher -------------- Carrick -------- Ronaldo
Heinze ----- Ferdinand -------------- Vidic ----- Neville
--------------------------- VDS ------------------------



^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Reading Subs: Stack; Long; Bikey ,89; Hunt ,85; Gunnarsson ,76

Manchester United Subs: Kuszczak, Brown, O'Shea ,70 ; Solskjaer ,70; Saha ,58

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^


Reading vs Man Utd

1 (0) - 1(0)

23 September 2006 - Ref: Peter Walton


Reading scorer:




Doyle 48 pen






Manchester United scorer:





Ronaldo 73

--------------------- Hahnemann ---------------------
De la Cruz ------- Ingimarsson -------- Duberry -------- Shorey
Murty---- Ki-Hyeon ----- Gunnarsson --------Harper-----Hunt
--------------------- Doyle ---------------------


--------------------- Rooney ---------------------------
------------------------------Giggs ----------------
Evra ------ Carrick -------------- Scholes -------- Ronaldo
Silvestre ----- Ferdinand -------------- Vidic ----- Brown
--------------------------- VDS ------------------------



^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Reading Subs: Federici; Cisse; Oster ,57; Bikey ,87; Kitson ,72 [sent off 73]

Manchester United Subs: Kuszczak, Pique, O'Shea ,57 ; Fletcher ,77; Nani ,47

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^


Man Utd vs Reading

0 (0) - 0(0)

12 August 2007 - Ref: Rob Styles





Rooneys chance & injury




Nanis shot