Follow every kick as Birmingham City take on Manchester United at St Andrews Stadium in the Premier League
on 09-Jan-2010, kick off time 17:30
Birmingham City v Manchester United Live
Match Preview
There are easier places to visit after an embarrassing defeat against lower division oppostion than St Andrew's. Manchester United's dire display in Sunday's FA Cup defeat to League One side Leeds United left Sir Alex Ferguson fuming and he did not have the chance to bounce back in midweek when the Carling Cup semi-final first leg clash with Manchester City was postponed.
But with United's injury problems showing little sign of abating they face a Birmingham side on Saturday that are unbeaten in 12 matches in all competitions. Alex McLeish's team have not been beaten since their 3-1 loss at Arsenal in mid-October since when they have won seven games and drawn five. That run has included impressive draws with Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea and has lifted them to the dizzy heights of eighth in the Premier League table, only five points adrift of fourth-placed Tottenham.
Ferguson should be able to call on the services of Paul Scholes and Nani again after they recovered from hip and ankle injuries respectively but Edwin van der Sar continues to be absent while he cares for his ill wife. Long-term injury victims John O'Shea (thigh), Rio Ferdinand (calf) and Owen Hargreaves (knee) remain sidelined as United attempt to improve on a recent run of three defeats in their last six matches in all competitions.
Ferguson threatened after the Leeds game to make wholesale changes to his starting line-up, saying after his side's first FA Cup defeat to a lower league club since they were beaten by Bournemouth in 1984: "I am shocked by the performance because our preparation for the game was very good. "We never got going. The quality of the passing and whole performance was bad. "Leeds had a far bigger appetite than us. We didn't start right, Leeds got their goal and it was something to hold onto."
Source: DSG
