O'Shea signs, Roo return set

John O'Shea has signed a three-year contract extension that will keep him at Manchester United until 2012.

United are the Republic of Ireland international's only professional club, aside form brief loan spells at Bournemouth and Royal Antwerp, and the utility man moved a step closer to ending his career at Old Trafford.

United manager Alex Ferguson said: "John has developed in his years here and is now regarded as one of the more experienced players.

"He has proved through his personality and professionalism he is an outstanding credit to the club and I am delighted he has signed a new contract."

O'Shea has made over 200 appearances for the Premier League champions in central midfield as well as all across the defence, and has scored 13 times for the club.

Wayne Rooney is expected to make his return from injury when United play Fulham on December 3rd.

The striker - who missed England's 3-2 defeat to Croatia - has been out for three weeks with an ankle injury sustained in training.


Source from Eurosport

Bolton Vs Manchester United

Reebok Stadium
Saturday, 24 November
Kick-off: 1500 GMT

Bolton striker Nicolas Anelka is fit again after a hamstring injury and should return to the starting line-up.

El-Hadji Diouf is also set to return after completing a one-match ban.

Manchester United's Wayne Rooney is still out with an ankle injury, while Gary Neville continues his recovery after a succession of injury problems.

Defender Nemanja Vidic is United's only worry. The Serbian picked up a knock against Poland, so Wes Brown may partner Rio Ferdinand at the back.

Bolton (from): Jaaskelainen, McCann, Michalik, A O'Brien, Meite, Gardner, Cid, Campo, Guthrie, Nolan, Speed, Alonso, Diouf, Davies, Anelka, Al Habsi, Samuel, Teymourian, Braaten, Giannakopoulos.

Man Utd (from): Van der Sar, Kuszczak, Brown, O'Shea, Ferdinand, Vidic, Pique, Evans, Evra, Simpson, Ronaldo, Hargreaves, Anderson, Fletcher, Eagles, Carrick, Giggs, Nani, Saha, Tevez.

Bolton manager Gary Megson:"In my view, we are improving. We made a case for winning every game played whilst I've been here.

"But we haven't won so we've got to find a way of turning draws into wins, regardless of the opposition.

"We've also been doing a lot of work during the international break in terms of watching players."

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson:"He [Wayne Rooney] is doing some running. Somebody said that they saw him training on Tuesday. That's some eye sight!

"He started some light running on Thursday and did some good running on Friday.

"He won't play at Bolton or against Sporting Lisbon, but I would think he'll be available for Fulham."

BIG-MATCH FACTS
The 109th league meeting of these two Greater Manchester rivals could see United at the top of the table and Bolton still below the safety line at the final whistle.

No club has won more Premier League matches this season than Manchester United (nine), and no club has won fewer than Bolton (one).

Bolton have drawn four and lost one of five games since the appointment of Gary Megson, and are chasing a first win under the new manager against the tightest defence in the Premier League.

Manchester United are unbeaten in 10 league outings; Wanderers are pursuing a first win in 10.

The Trotters have conceded more Premier League goals to Manchester United than to any other club (40).

Bolton are making a ninth attempt to clinch a first ever home Premier League victory over Manchester United. They've not taken maximum points off the Red Devils in front of the home faithful since a 3-0 top flight triumph on 22 December 1978. A brace from Frank Worthington and an Alan Gowling goal decided the issue 29 years ago.

BOLTON WANDERERS
Highest realistically achievable after Saturday's matches: 15thLowest could fall: 20th

1. One of only two clubs with just one Premier League victory; the other is Derby. Also, one of three clubs with just one home Premier League victory so far this season. The others are Middlesbrough and Derby. Reading are the only club to have left the Reebok without any points.
2. Not won in eight; drawn three and lost five league and cup games since beating Rabotnicki Kometa 1-0 in the Uefa Cup first round second leg at the Reebok on 4 October.
3. Drawn five of the last seven Premier League fixtures, including the last three against Aston Villa (h), West Ham (a) and Middlesbrough (h); it is the longest current sequence of draws in the highest league.
4. Won one of 19 Premier League outings; winless in nine, having picked up five points out of 27.
5. Eight points from the first 13 games equals their worst ever start to a Premier League season in 1995-96. That was their first taste of football in this league, which saw them finish bottom and suffer immediate relegation.
6. Averaging 0.62 points per game, having dropped 31 of the 39 available. Only Derby exceed that; 33 points dropped. Eight points were dropped from winning positions; losing to Fulham and Portsmouth - both away, and drawing, home to Aston Villa.
7. Yet to beat a top half club. Drawn two and lost four of their six fixtures against clubs currently in the top 10.
8. Won one of the last seven Premier League fixtures against north-west clubs; 1-3, away to Wigan on 7 April.
9. Need to score one goal to total 200 in home Premier League games all-time.
10. This match precedes Thursday's Uefa Cup Group F tie, home to Aris Salonica, and a Premier League trip to Liverpool on Sunday, 2 December.
    

MANCHESTER UNITED
Highest achievable after Saturday's matches: 1stLowest could fall: 2nd

1. Undefeated in nine; won eight and drawn one in all competitions, since the 0-2 home defeat by Coventry in the third round of the Carling Cup on 26 September; their only loss in 15 outings.
2. Dropped only two points from a last possible 30, since their only league defeat this term; 1-0, away to Manchester City on 19 August.
3. Kept eight clean sheets in the Premier League so far this season - more than any other club; seven of those have been in the last 10 matches.
4. Opened the scoring in an unrivalled 10 Premier League matches this season.
5. Heading the Premier League's "Last Six Current Form" table with 16 points out of 18.
6. Completed 53 league games since a loss by more than a single goal; 3-0, away to Chelsea on 29 April 2006.
7. Meanest defence in the Premier League with six goals conceded from 13 outings, at one every 195 minutes (three hours 15 minutes) on average. Liverpool have also let in just six, but from 12 matches, at one every 180 minutes (three hours).
8. Yet to lose to a lower half club; won five and drawn one of their six fixtures against clubs in the bottom 10.
9. Unbeaten in four league games on the road (three wins, one draw), and already returned from Everton, Birmingham and Aston Villa with maximum points.
10. This match precedes Tuesday's Champions League Group F tie, home to Sporting.
    

KEY PLAYER NOTES
BOLTON WANDERERS
Nicolas ANELKA is Bolton's leading scorer with seven goals, including six of the clubs 11 in the Premier League.

Kevin DAVIES is a hat-trick shy of 100 club career goals (Chesterfield, Southampton, Blackburn, Millwall and Bolton).

Jussi JAASKALAINEN is the only player to have been on the field for every minute of every one of Bolton's Premier League matches this season.

Gary SPEED, the only player to have netted in every Premier League season, is a double shy of 100 career league goals (Leeds, Everton, Newcastle and Bolton).

If selected:-
SPEED will be extending his record breaking number of Premier League appearances to 533.

DAVIES will be making his 150th league appearance for Bolton.

Kevin NOLAN will be making his 300th club career appearance - all for Bolton.

MANCHESTER UNITED
Wayne ROONEY, who's currently injured, has scored five Premier League goals against Bolton - all five were netted last season.

Cristiano RONALDO is Manchester United's top scorer this season with 10 goals, and leading Premier League marksman with six.

Ryan GIGGS is one short of 100 career league goals.

Rio FERDINAND is the only remaining player to have started all of Manchester United's Premier League matches this season.

When he returns from injury and next plays from the outset, Gary NEVILLE will be making his 350th Premier League start for Manchester United.


HEAD TO HEAD
Wayne Rooney celebrated his 21st birthday earlier in the week, by completing a hat-trick in last season's 0-4 triumph over Bolton in this identical fixture last season.

United scored eight goals against the Trotters last term.

Although they are yet to defeat the Red Devils on home territory, Bolton have recorded two Premier League victories at Old Trafford: 1-2, on 20 October 2001 and 0-1, on 11 September 2002.

Home and away
League (inc PL): Bolton 40 wins, Man United 44, Draws 24
Prem: Bolton 2 wins, Man United 10, Draws 4

at Bolton only
League (inc PL): Bolton 24 wins, Man United 16, Draws 14
Prem: Bolton 0 wins, Man United 5, Draws 3

LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME
Bolton Wanderers 0-4 Manchester United
28 October 2006 - Ref: Rob Styles
Man United scorers: Rooney 10, 16, Ronaldo 82, Rooney 89


REFEREE
Mark Clattenburg (Tyne & Wear)


After reading the news, what is your prediction of the match result?

Source from BBC Sport

Rooney yet to return to training

Manchester United have scotched reports that Wayne Rooney has returned to training.

Rooney suffered an ankle injury in a training-ground accident a fortnight ago and was immediately ruled out for four weeks by manager Sir Alex Ferguson. However, reports emerged overnight that the 22-year-old had been given the green light to start training again and could even be involved in Saturday's trip to Bolton.

The news has come as a surprise to United officials, who felt Rooney was still some way off a comeback, and sources inside Old Trafford have confirmed Rooney is still undergoing treatment and has not resumed training.

It leaves Ferguson with the same striking conundrum for the Reebok Stadium visit - because Carlos Tevez is not due back from World Cup duty with Argentina until Friday morning, while Louis Saha's fitness has not exactly been something United have been able to rely upon this season.

Without Rooney, Tevez and Saha(maybe) in the squad, don't you think that is like England without top striker? Will the result same?

It make me worry about this coming Saturday match between Bolton and Man Utd. Miracle will always happen for Man Utd. Go Man Utd, kick out Bolton and climb to top of the league.