Old Trafford
Sunday, 23 December
Kick-off: 1200 GMT
BBC coverage: BBC Sport website, BBC Radio Five Live & highlights on Match of the Day.
Manchester United expect Rio Ferdinand, Carlos Tevez and Wes Brown to have shaken off minor knocks.
Park Ji-sung is unlikely to figure, having this week missed a reserve-team game against Oldham, but he is expected to feature over the festive period.
Tim Howard, Ayegbeni Yakubu, Mikel Arteta, Tim Cahill and Joseph Yobo could all return for Everton after being rested against AZ Alkmaar.
Everton will be without Leon Osman, Alan Stubbs and Leighton Baines.
Man Utd team (from): Van der Sar, Kuszczak, Brown, O’Shea, Ferdinand, Vidic, Pique, Evra, Fletcher, Ronaldo, Nani, Carrick, Anderson, Hargreaves, Park, Giggs, Saha, Rooney, Tevez.
Everton team (from): Provisional squad: Howard, Wessels, Neville, Hibbert, Yobo, Jagielka, Lescott, Valente, Pienaar, Carsley, Arteta, Cahill, Gravesen, McFadden, Yakubu, Johnson, Anichebe, Vaughan.
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson:
“Everton have done exceptionally well this season and David Moyes takes all the credit for that.
“It is a young team with a future which augurs well for Everton. They will be a handful and we’ll need our best form.
“David has put youngsters on long-term contracts to keep some continuity and made some good buys to strengthen.”
Everton midfielder Mikel Arteta:
“We are on a very good run and must try to enjoy it.
“Old Trafford is my favourite away ground, they are always very hard games but we’ll try to get something from it.
“I love Cristiano Ronaldo, his development has been unbelievable. He handles pressure so well and is improving all the time.”
The top two clubs on the Premier League’s “Last Six Form” table go head-to-head at Old Trafford; Everton have claimed 14 of the 18 points, Manchester United 13.
The Red Devils are on the longest current winning sequence in the highest league of three games; the Merseysiders are on the longest current unbeaten run of seven.
Both clubs are ever-presents in the Premier League, each playing their 600th match. United have won more than any other club (379); Everton have lost more (236).
Manchester United have won more Premier League matches against Everton than any other club, and the Merseysiders have lost more games in this league against the Red Devils that any other side (24).
MANCHESTER UNITED
(all statistics are ahead of this weekend’s round of Premier League fixtures)
1. Won 17 of 21 in all competitions, and lost one of 15.
2. One of two clubs with as many as 12 Premier League wins; the other is Arsenal.
3. Boasting the tightest defence in the highest league; just eight goals shipped in 17 outings, at one every 191 minutes (three hours 11 minutes) of Premier League football played on average.
4. Won 12 of the last 14 Premier League matches, losing just one of the 14.
5. Kept clean sheets in nine of the last 14 league outings, and failed to score in one of their last 14 league games; the 1-0 loss, away to Bolton on 24 November.
6. Not lost in any league game this term in which they have scored; won 12 and drawn two of 14.
7. Scored first in an unequalled 13 Premier League matches; won 11 and drawn two.
8. Conceded only two goals in the last 15 minutes of Premier League matches this term; only Arsenal and Liverpool can match that.
9. One of four clubs still unbeaten at home in the Premier League, having conceded just two goals; fewer than any other club. Hoping to add the scalp of Everton to those of Spurs, Sunderland, Chelsea, Wigan, Middlesbrough, Blackburn, Fulham and Derby gained in the last eight outings at the Theatre of Dreams.
10. Next is a Boxing Day visit to Sunderland, and a trip to West Ham three days later, before the New Year’s Day fixture home to Birmingham.
EVERTON
(all statistics are ahead of this weekend’s round of Premier League fixtures)
1. Won the last five in league and cup, and undefeated in 13 (11 wins, two draws).
2. Unbeaten in seven Premier League games; won five and drawn two since the 1-2 loss, home to Liverpool on 20 October.
3. Scored 31 Premier League goals; only Arsenal have netted more (34).
4. The best behaved Premier League club with just 18 cards shown (two red, 16 yellow).
5. The most lethal side in stoppage time of Premier League matches when an unequalled six goals have been scored.
6. Not conceded in three league games, or 315 minutes (five hours 15 minutes) since Dwight Yorke scored Sunderland’s consolation in the 7-1 thrashing at Goodison Park on 24 November.
7. Failed to score in one of the last 10 Premier League matches; that was the goalless draw at Portsmouth on 1 December.
8. The next defeat will be their 150th away from home in the Premier League.
9. Won only one of their last 10 Premier League matches against the “big four” clubs; the victory being the 1-0 home triumph over Arsenal on 18 March 2007. Also, yet to beat a fellow top half club this season; drawn three and lost four of their seven fixtures against clubs currently in the top 10.
10. Home to Bolton on Boxing Day, and Arsenal three days later, before the New Year’s Day game at Middlesbrough.
MANCHESTER UNITED
Cristiano RONALDO is Manchester United’s top scorer with 14 goals.
RONALDO is also their leading Premier League marksman with nine. He jointly leads the race for the Barclays Golden Boot, alongside Arsenal’s Emmanuel ADEBAYOR, and Ayegbeni YAKUBU of Everton.
Rio FERDINAND is the only remaining player to have started all of Manchester United’s Premier League matches this season.
If selected:-
Wayne ROONEY will be facing a former club. The 21 year old England international striker made 77 appearances (67 in the league) and scored 17 goals (15 league) for Everton at the beginning of his professional career from February 2003 to his 20m move to Old Trafford in August 2004.
If on the field from the outset:-
Nemanja VIDIC will be making his 50th Premier League start in a Manchester United shirt.
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.
EVERTON
YAKUBU is Everton’s top scorer with 11 goals; five in his last three league and cup games.
YAKUBU is also the clubs’ top Premier League marksman with nine. He jointly leads the race for the Barclays Golden Boot, alongside Arsenal’s Emmanuel ADEBAYOR, and Cristiano RONALDO of Manchester United.
YAKUBU is one of 12 players contributing to the Everton Premier League goal tally. It is the joint longest goalscorers list in the highest league, alongside Tottenham’s.
James McFADDEN is now just one shy of 50 club career goals.
Tim HOWARD will be facing a former club. The 28 year old United States international keeper made 77 appearances (45 in the league) for United between July 2003 and his move to Goodison three years later.
Phil NEVILLE will also be opposing former club mates. The 30 year old England international made 389 appearances (263 in the league) and scored eight goals (five league) between July 1994 and his transfer to Everton in the 2005 close season.
If selected:-
Leon OSMAN will be making his 150th career league appearance (Everton, Carlisle and Derby).
Manchester United are unbeaten in five Premier League matches against Everton, and have won the last three.
Duncan Ferguson scored the only goal of the game in the Toffees’ last victory over United at Goodison Park on 20 April 2005.
Peter Beardsley, Robert Warzycha and Mo Johnston scored without reply in Everton’s very first Premier League visit to Old Trafford on 19 August 1992. It’s their only maximum in this league at the Theatre of Dreams.
Home and away
League (inc PL): Man Utd 68 wins, Everton 52, Draws 37
Prem: Man Utd 24 wins, Everton 5, Draws 2
at Man Utd only
League (inc PL): Man Utd 43 wins, Everton 15, Draws 20
Prem: Man Utd 11 wins, Everton 1, Draws 3
Manchester United 3-0 Everton
29 November 2006 – Ref: Mark Halsey
Man United scorers: Ronaldo 39, Evra 63, O’Shea 89
Everton 0-1 Manchester United
15 September 2007 – Ref: Alan Wiley
Man Utd scorer: Vidic 83
Howard Webb (Yorkshire)
Source: Man Utd v Everton
