Manchester United Vs. Newcastle.

Right. Predictions?

TEAM NEWS
Manchester United top scorer Wayne Rooney is set to return after missing the Champions League draw with Benfica because of a hip injury.

Midfielder Anderson has been ruled out until February with a knee injury.

Newcastle are expecting both Chieck Tiote (knee) and Leon Best (groin) to return to action.

Winger Gabriel Obertan hopes to face his former club, having overcome the injury that ruled him out of the defeat at Manchester City.

MATCH PREVIEW
With neighbours Manchester City leading the title race and progress in the Champions League not yet secured for Manchester United after Wednesday's disappointing home draw with Benfica, Newcastle travel to the North West wary of a backlash. Manager Alan Pardew said this week he feels Sir Alex Ferguson will still be smarting on the back of a negative from United's point of view, and I think he might be right.



It's 39 years since the Toon last took all the points from a fixture at Old Trafford with a 2-0 win back in February of 1972. They've failed to win on any of their last 27 visits in the league.

Manchester United are averaging three goals a game at home but they haven't been as free-flowing recently, winning each of the last three league games by 1-0. Incidentally, those three clean sheets coincided with Nemanja Vidic's return to the side. Typical United though isn't it really, finding a way to get the job done and stay in the hunt even when perhaps not at their absolute best. Their points total of 29 leaves them second in the table, five points behind Manchester City, but they are actually four points better off than this time last year and United do have a well-documented habit of getting stronger as the season wears on.

Newcastle go into this game currently boasting the joint meanest defence in the Premier League, having conceded just 11 goals so far, which is the same number as both Manchester City and Liverpool. Nearly half (five) of those 11 have been conceded in the last three games after a tremendous start in which they let in only six in their first nine. Old Trafford will be some test, but Newcastle go there in better health than they have for quite some time as they look to end that 39-year drought.

MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head

Manchester United have won five of their last six home games against the Magpies, the exception being a 1-1 draw on the opening day of the 2008/09 season.
Newcastle's last win at Old Trafford was by 2-0 in February 1972. It's 17 league matches since their last win against United, a 4-3 victory on Tyneside in September 2001.
Sir Alex Ferguson won his most recent encounter against an Alan Pardew side, beating Charlton 2-0 at Old Trafford in February 2007.
Man Utd

United's 29 points from their opening 12 Premier league matches is their most at this stage of the season since they accrued 31 points at the start of the 2006/07 campaign.
The club have scored 10 league goals from set-pieces this season, more than any other team.
Javier Hernandez has scored five league goals this season but none have been at Old Trafford.
Goalkeeper David de Gea has made the equal-most saves in the division this season with 50, level with Swansea's Michel Vorm.
Newcastle

Newcastle are looking to avoid back-to-back league defeats for the first time since March, and only the third time under Alan Pardew.
The next away goal conceded by Newcastle will be the 500th they have let in during the Premier League era.
The Magpies are eight points better off than this stage last term, when they had already lost five times.
If selected, Steven Taylor will make his 150th league start for the Magpies, while Shola Ameobi is one goal away from 50 league strikes.