Manchester United take on Aston Villa at Old Trafford on Saturday evening in a bid to close the 2-point gap between them and Chelsea on the table, or make sure the gap stays at 2 points.

Manchester United are still faced with a long injury list, most of the names belonging to defenders.
Names on the list include: Nani, Wayne Rooney, Wes Brown, Nemanja Vidic, Gary Neville, Edwin van Der Saar, Fabio, John O'Shea, Johnny Evans, Dimitar Berbatov, Rio Ferdinand, Owen Hargreaves.
In attack, Wayne Rooney is expected back for this game. Aston Villa are a formidable team so it's quite likely that Sir Alex brings Rooney in, especially with United being so close to Chelsea.
We should have Michael Owen/Wayne Rooney(if Rooney starts), or Michael Owen/Danny Welbeck(if Rooney doesn't start).
Now, Sir Alex's midfield has become something even the best soothsayer cannot predict. With midfielders like Michael Carrick and Darren Fletcher being deployed as defenders, one has to wonder what exactly the middle will look like tomorrow.
Vidic is expected back tho, so Fletcher should return to the middle. Valencia, Giggs, Anderson, Scholes and Darron Gibson are the players most likely to feature. Valencia's pace and Anderson's strength will be useful against O'Neill's men. Fletcher's midfield skills too.
In defense, the injured names expected back are Edwin Van der Saar, Nemanja Vidic, and Wes Brown. Wes Brown is still a doubt, so we will likely see Van der Saar back in goal, Evra as LB, Vidic/Carrick in central defense, and Ritchie De Laet as RB.
Aston Villa are a big deal.  .  .it really would not be wise for Sir Alex to field only 3 men in defense as he did in United's UCL game against Wolfsburg.
The primary goal for United will be to keep from conceding.

Martin O'Neill heads to Old Trafford with 4 key defenders injured. However with the pace and physical strength possessed by most of his players, and of course skill, O'Neill surely thinks a win is possible against a currently depleted United side.
In attack, top-scorer Gabriel Agbonlahor, John Carew, and Emile Heskey are ready to go. We'll likely see Agbonlahor and Carew heading the attack if O'Neill decides to play 4-4-2.
Midfield will definitely have Ashley Young in it, as well as James Milner, Steve Sidwell, and Stewart Downing. Gary Gardner and Nigel Reo-Coker should be on the bench.
In defense, Aston Villa have got Craig Gardner, James Collins, Wilfred Bouma and Curtis Davies out injured. All important defenders.  .  .so they've kinda got a similar defense issue to United's.
Craig Gardner is expected back for this match though, while Collins is a doubt. However the reliable Richard Dunne is available, as well as Carlos Jimenez Cuellar, Luke Young and Stephen Warnock. And of course, goalie Brad Friedel.
So it doesn't really look like Aston Villa have got any serious issues in defense.

This match won't be about which side plays better.  .  .it will simply be about taking every chance, and keeping a tight defense.

This match won't be about which side plays better. . .it will simply be about taking every chance, and keeping a tight defense.

wow! are you saying Villa are Chelsea or Pool?
and the game is at OT not Villa park!!!

The gulf in class between our players and theirs is like a billion miles

I disagree the match wont be about how well we play cos they would be at the receiving end of a UTD that are ready to decimate any opposition till say february

UTD 3 villa 0/1

and did you say Carew and heskey?
when Carrick and Fletcher held dzeko and Graffitte

Villa are destined to lose emphatically

TKB, underestimate Aston Villa at your peril.
Those guys can PLAY when they put their minds to it, and as usual, they light up best against big teams.

Gabby Agbonlahor, Ashley Young and James Milner would have a thing or two to teach Grafite. Young and Milner are midfielders, but dearie, they are hot goal-scoring midfielders.
Trust me, Villa will bring game to OT.
And remember, it's not like we have never lost at OT before.

United can win, but we will need to take all our chances. And let's hope VDS won't be wobbly.

If the backline still looks the way i saw it last, i'm afraid this is a loss.
This is villa, with some of the fastest and skillful players in the league. . .
With a million crosses. . .
Big men up front. . .
Scoring defenders. . .
Concede corners at your peril.
Manscum 2 - Villa 3

u don miss am

the reason why UTD have been dealing with them is cos they like to take the game to us. This is OT!!!!!!!

Milner and Young to teach Graifitte something? Young and Milner are still learning football and hey we are gonna have Ando, Scholes, Fletcher, Gibson (Gibson and Milner are mates )

see, they will play to their best and thier best would definitely not be enuff. did you see their game against Chelsea at the bridge?
clueless!!

we are not mates and of course our mates are Barca and Chelsea not Villa
if we play well, Villa will be dead in 45mins

if we dont play well like we did against Arsenal, we'll win the game still maybe in the dieing minutes. Games at OT are destined for teams to lose
ask real madrid and Barca and even Chelsea

we have lost at OT b4 i know but not when we are in good scoring form.

U and Emperoh una be the same thing

tkb417:

u don miss am

the reason why UTD have been dealing with them is cos they like to take the game to us. This is OT!!!!!!!

Milner and Young to teach Graifitte something? Young and Milner are still learning football and hey we are gonna have Ando, Scholes, Fletcher, Gibson (Gibson and Milner are mates )

see, they will play to their best and thier best would definitely not be enuff. did you see their game against Chelsea at the bridge?
clueless!!

we are not mates and of course our mates are Barca and Chelsea not Villa
if we play well, Villa will be dead in 45mins

if we dont play well like we did against Arsenal, we'll win the game still maybe in the dieing minutes. Games at OT are destined for teams to lose
ask real madrid and Barca and even Chelsea

we have lost at OT b4 i know but not when we are in good scoring form.

U and Emperoh una be the same thing

hmmmm. . . . . what about liverpool?

lol
u dey kolo

another 3 points for the red army

Emperoh:

TKB
Nah. . . . .i agree and disagree. . . . .Villa has a way of playing games with us.
Remember, they nearly did us in yesterday if not for a moment of brillance from Giggs and Mercheda
But somehow, win or loose, i love games with them cos they are among the non big 4s that take the game to us.

So if on their day we don't play well, we might just bid the 3 points farewell.
I am only worried about who's playing on the wings. . . once that is sorted, i will rest!!

now ure worried about those on the wings
b4 the game against Wolfsburg, u were worried about who will play at the back

worry no go kill u o; UTD will win even if we put best ogedengbe as our winger
u no dey hear word?

who be aston villa ?
abeggi joh

If Villa like let them field messi, United has the indian sign over them. Teams like Tottenham, everton,villa will always be raped by United anywhere, anytime no matter the circumstance. A solid midfield will keep young and agbonlahor quiet. 4-1 to United if we score early. United ain't chelsea or Liverpool wrt Villa.

up red devils no matter what injury list look like will are going to win and chealse will so that will can top d table amen

Nt going to b easy 4 man u bt man u wl stil win.

Villa do use al they have to see the dwn fall of the big 4 bt nt to United. Who know how to deal wit them. City, Everton nd Spurs are the victims of circumstances. I know the guyz United, wil took the game as serious as it is. Villa wil score bt United wuld WIN I LOVE OBERTAN and HE LOVES ME TOO. In my place they cal him malaria i dnt kno y.

Mind u,vidic has no injury and also wayne rooney as u said, manu attack gona be awesome with giggs and rooney in the attack,the midfielders are valencia(right),scholes(middle),anderson(middle) and park also at the left flank, so we gona destroy aston villa cos they arent better than wolfsburg

I just don't see united winning this game. For my money, Aston Villa will edge it Man U 1-3 Aston Villa. SAF TO  BLAME REF FOR DEFEAT

United will win, but it wouldn't be easy.

FERGIE'S XI:   
          
                     PIG

Fletcher  Brown  Vidic   Evra

      Carrick  Anderson 

Valencia    Giggs      Park

              Rooney

Players file out. . .
I am not confident about Park. And, Rooney is not so hot as a point-man. Dunno why Fergie keeps putting him there.
Guess we should see a Valencia goal tonight.

Heskey starts for Villa.

Villa have a good start.

Keep your head, Tomas.
A win would be lovely tonight.

Now you show what you made of Villa. .

United are attacking hard.

Villa still asleep.
United in charge so far.  .  .

Valencia is a limited player. . . . .He can as well have his left foot amputated.
What a retard!!!!

Valencia still has a lot to learn before he can be compared to ronaldo.

~Sauron~:

Valencia is a limited player. . . . .He can as well have his left foot amputated.
What a retard!!!!

, see frustration

Heskey wants to play for  England?
JOKER!

~Sauron~:

Valencia is a limited player. . . . .He can as well have his left foot amputated.
What a retard!!!!

In a year's time you'll be telling us how he sh.its on several Chelsea players.

Dclique:

Valencia still has a lot to learn before he can be compared to ronaldo.

Valencia can never be compared to Ronaldo, come off it

I thought he already made the squad list.