Premiership
Old Trafford
Wednesday, 29th October; KO: 20:00 BST


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Premiership Table:


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Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson may recall midfielder






Michael Carrick




for the visit of West Ham.

The England international has only played 70 minutes of football this season due to an ankle problem
but he returned to training last week.

West Ham will be without the suspended Carlton Cole
who was sent off against Arsenal on Sunday.

Mark Noble is out with a calf injury, while the game may have come too soon
for new striker Diego Tristan.



Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson:


Quote:

"Rio Ferdinand's best years are in front of him. He has leadership qualities and we are really starting to see maturity in his game. "We always knew that he was good at taking the ball out of defence because he has such wonderful balance and great pace. "Now we are seeing more edge to his game and more of a contribution in terms of being voluble towards his team-mates. He is much better at that."

West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola:


Quote:

"We respect Manchester United but we do not fear them. It is a difficult moment for us, but from these times good teams come out. "I feel really bad about it. I have never seen a team play so well but get no points from three matches. "I know in football things can change very quickly, so we just need to keep our game right and then everything will be better. We feel we will go there to play our own game and to win."

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BIG-MATCH FACTS



Champions Manchester United have won their last four in all competitions at Old Trafford,
but know they will not return to the top four, even if opponents West Ham
suffered a fourth successive league defeat.

Sir Alex Ferguson's side are eight points behind Liverpool at the summit
with a game in hand, and will want to return to winning ways, having been held by Everton at Goodison Park on Saturday.

Victory for the Hammers would take them level on points with the Red Devils.

The Eastenders started promisingly under Gianfranco Zola,
but now are in danger of slumping to their longest losing league sequence since March 2007
when they lost five on the spin in Alan Curbishley's first 12 games in charge.

His reign started with just one victory in the opening dozen, that being 1-0, home to Manchester United.

West Ham have dropped more Premier League points to Manchester United
than any other club (59).

Distance between the clubs: 211 miles (339 kilometres)






CLUB FORM






Club stats
Fixtures




1. Undefeated in nine in all competitions;
won six and drawn three in league and cup.

2. Won three and drawn two of the last five Premier League matches, since losing 2-1, away to Liverpool on 13 September;
their only league defeat this season, and sole loss in 10 Premier League outings.

3. Been replicating last season, but now two points behind their eight-game total of 17 points last term.

4. On a league high 45 matches without a no score draw;
the goalless stalemate, home to Reading on the opening day of last season, 12 August 2007, being the most recent.

5. Scored in each of the last 32 league games;
the 1-0 defeat away to Bolton on 24 November 2007 was the last occasion in which they failed to score.

6. Also on the longest current run in the highest league of 86 matches since a loss by more than a single goal;
3-0, away to Chelsea on 29 April 2006.

7.The lowest placed of the three remaining clubs with unbeaten home records in the highest league.

8. Won their last five home Premier League matches against London clubs.
The only London club to take any points off United in eight matches at Old Trafford
since the beginning of 2007, was West Ham; 0-1 on 13 May 2007.








Club stats
Fixtures



1. Lost the last three against Bolton (h), Hull (a) and Arsenal (h).

2. Yet to keep a clean sheet this season.

3. Won all four top-flight matches this season in which they have opened the scoring.

4. Yet to draw in any competition this season, and completed 37 Premier League matches since a goalless draw;
the most recent being away to Portsmouth on 27 October.

5. The Premier League's joint most dangerous club in the first 15 minutes, when four of their 14 goals have been scored;
only Manchester City match that.

6. Playing back-to-back fixtures against 'Big Four' clubs;
lost 0-2, home to Arsenal last time out.

7. Lost seven of the last season's nine Premier League games against the 'Big Four' quartet of
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United; including the last four.

9. Gained two points from a possible 21 on their trips to the North-West since beating Blackburn 0-1 on 9 December 2007;
lost the last three.






KEY PLAYER NOTES








Rio FERDINAND

is the only remaining player to have been on the field for every minute of every one
of Manchester United's Premier League matches this season.




Wayne ROONEY

who's scored nine goals in his last eight games for club and country
and five in six appearances for United,
needs one more to total 100 club goals (Everton and Manchester United).

If selected:-

Edwin VAN DER SAR will be playing on his 38th birthday.

FERDINAND will be facing the club where he began his professional career.
The 29 year old England defender made 158 appearances (127 in the league) and scored two league goals
for the Upton Park club in five years from November 1995, until his £18m move to Leeds.

Michael CARRICK will also be opposing the club where he was a trainee.
The 27 year old England international made 159 appearances (136 in the league) and scored six league goals
in six seasons for the Eastenders until his £3m move to Tottenham in August 2004.





Carlos TEVEZ



will be facing former club-mates.

The 24 year old Argentina international made 29 appearances (26 in the league)
and scored seven league goals for West Ham in the season before last.

If on the field from the outset:-

Dimitar BERBATOV will be making his 100th start for an English club
(Tottenham and Manchester United).

John O'SHEA will be making his 150th English league start
(Manchester United and Bournemouth).









Matthew UPSON

is the only remaining outfield player to have been on the field for every minute
of every one of West Ham's Premier League matches this season.




Lee BOWYER

is a double shy of 50 career Premier League goals
(Leeds, Newcastle and West Ham).

If selected:-

Dean ASHTON will be making his 250th career league appearance
(Crewe, Norwich and West Ham).

Jonathan SPECTOR will be facing the club where he started his professional career,
making eight appearances (three in the League) for United before joining West Ham
for £500,000 in June 2006, after a loan spell with Charlton.

Suspended:-

Carlton COLE (three matches)





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