Carlos Tevez returns to Upton Park for the first time this Saturday after almost single-handedly keeping the Hammers up last season with 7 goals in his final 10 appearances. After being rested for United’s trip to Sunderland on Boxing Day he seems almost certain to be unleashed on his former team-mates. United’s top players have clicked into gear in December as Fergie said they would with 5 straight wins which has seen them leapfrog Arsenal to lead the Premier League.

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Sir Alex Ferguson comes face to face with Roy Keane on Boxing Day aiming to push his young protégé further into the relegation mire. Well that’s gratitude for you, after all Keane did help United plunder 7 Premier League titles, 4 FA Cups and a Champions League trophy in 12 happy years together.

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United will have been stunned by last weekends defeat at lowly Bolton so should be one of your bankers on Premier 10 to bounce back with a win on Monday. Don’t be put off by their last Premier League display as you can rest assured Cristiano Ronaldo and Nemanja Vidic will return to the side as they play catch-up with Arsenal. In fact, Ferguson’s side have not lost two Premier League matches in succession since April 2005 so take that into account when making your picks.

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Nineteen miles is all that separates these two historic football clubs but the current gulf in fortunes is huge. Bolton lie 3rd from bottom without a Premiership win in 3 months. United are second in the Premiership on goals scored and are enjoying a 10-match unbeaten run. This alone would suggest a tough game for the home team at the weekend but a look at recent history suggests a whole lot worse.

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Would anyone other than the staunchest Bolton fan have put money on a home win over United at the weekend? I seriously doubt it; they had waited 29 years for a home win against them after all. The team Sir Alex Ferguson picked played a key part in their defeat. The Red Devils were already without the services of Wayne Rooney through injury but Sir Alex’s decision to rest Ronaldo meant they were missing 2 players who have scored 11 of the club’s 23 goals this season. The Portuguese winger’s attacking threat is emphasised by the fact he has had more shots on target this season than anyone else in the Premier League. The only other occasion the Red Devils played away without both players was the 1-0 defeat at Eastlands in August. This was the only other away game when they failed to score this season. Perhaps Sir Alex may need to open the chequebook again in January.