THE USUAL GIDDY HYPE

Rio Ferdinand, David Beckham and Roy Keane are all back in training for United but Fergie says they won't be fit:

"There won't be anybody back for the Arsenal game, Laurent Blanc has got a chance but the rest won't be there. Gary Neville and Quinton Fortune should be fit. We'll have a go in the League Cup. The next round. I should have some players back by that time. There may be more flexibility in my team selection but hopefully we can go on."

Some reports suggest Rio and Becks may return though.

Teddy Sheringham will be supporting United:

"Let's be honest, I don't like Arsenal. And I think that's fair enough. It all comes down to the Tottenham-Arsenal thing. I don't want them to win anything. There's no harm in saying that. It's a North London rivalry, that's all.

"We have West Brom this weekend and I hope to catch the match at Old Trafford. We'll be training Saturday morning but I should get to see the second half.

"It's the Premiership's two biggest teams fighting for the title, so it will be an interesting game. Let's hope we get the right winner."

RVN in the Mirror:

"You have to admire what Arsenal have done so far this season. They will let the opposition play a bit but are very organised and as soon as they get the ball, they are away. With players like Thierry Henry, Sylvain Wiltord and Robert Pires they can punish you so quickly.

"The biggest danger on Saturday is that while we might have the possession, they will just be waiting to pounce and get the counter-attack going. We have to sort that out like we did at Anfield. We were on Liverpool as soon as they got the ball, defending high up the pitch.

"They could not get that crucial pass in behind our defence, we cut that ball out completely and they had to build up their play. It will have to be the same against Arsenal.

"In fact, you have two teams who will play it very similar - compact when they do not have the ball but very attacking-minded when they do.

"After the defeat to City, I felt worse than at any other time since I came here. Everyone was so disappointed and even after four or five days you still couldn't lose that feeling inside you.

"Perhaps looking back it was the biggest jolt we could get because we all reacted well after that game. In many people's eyes the title may have been gone that day, but the players reacted in the right way and we have gone on a good run.

"Now we really want to keep this going because we simply cannot afford another bad spell."

Giovanni van Bronckhorst:

"United may not be dominating the game like they were a few years ago, but they are as good as ever. It's just that we have got better.

"We have improved rather than United falling away and the game at Old Trafford this weekend is one of the most important we will face all season. The gap between us could extend to nine points or close to three, so we're under no illusion about United."