English Premier League Previews – Wolverhampton Wanderers v Manchester United

Wolverhampton Wanderers v Manchester United - Molineux, Saturday 6^th March 2010

 With Chelsea in FA Cup Quarter Final action against Stoke, Manchester United can reclaim pole position in the EPL with a win or even a draw at lowly Wolves on Saturday. Last week it was United who missed a league game due to their appearance in the Carling Cup Final, but Chelsea failed to seize the opportunity to extend their lead at the top, crashing to a 4-2 home defeat at the hands of Manchester City.

In claiming the season’s first piece of silverware with a hard-fought victory over Aston Villa, the Red Devils picked up several new injury concerns in the form of Michael Owen, who will be out for up to a month with yet another hamstring strain, Jonny Evans, who may miss the Molineux trip with a knee problem and fellow defender Rafael who is also a doubt for Saturday after limping from the fray at Wembley.

Wayne Rooney, meanwhile, has insisted that his knee problem is no more than bruising and the in-form striker should be available provided he comes through England’s midweek friendly against Egypt unscathed.

Mick McCarthy, meanwhile, was widely condemned for fielding a weakened team when the two sides met at Old Trafford in December and while the Wolves boss remains unrepentant, he will certainly not be leaving any of his first-team regulars out on Saturday. Only goal difference is currently keeping Wolves out of the relegation zone following back to back defeats against Bolton and Chelsea and with no fewer than fourteen of his players heading off on international duty this week, McCarthy will be praying that they all return to the Black Country injury-free. The club has already received some welcome news on the injury front, with Andy Keogh returning to full training and the Irish international may be included on the bench for the United clash. Michael Kightly is also close to making a full recovery from the ankle and knee problems that have ruled him out since November and David Edwards is another long-term absentee who should be back in full training before the end of the month.

Wolves can take heart from the fact that they have won three of the last six meetings with United at Molineux and they will undoubtedly make life tough for Sir Alex Ferguson’s men, but with the notable exception of the defeat at Everton, United have shown plenty of resolve in recent weeks and it’s hard to back against them picking up the points here.

Prediction: Wolves 0-2 Manchester United