Live Commentary

Ferguson: Van Persie deserves respect Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson would be surprised if Robin van Persie was not given a warm reception by Arsenal fans this weekend. The prolific Dutchman is poised to face his former club for the first time since joining United in a #24million summer deal as the Gunners visit Old Trafford in the Barclays Premier League on Saturday. Van Persie scored 37 goals for the Londoners last season but, with his contract running down, opted not to renew and the club sold to their rivals. The 29-year-old has since made a fine start at United, scoring nine times in 12 appearances. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has said Van Persie, who was brought to England from Feyenoord by the Gunners in 2004, deserves respect and Ferguson agrees. Ferguson said: "I think Arsene has laid his seed for his supporters in terms of respecting him. "I think, if you think about all the former players who have come back to Old Trafford, they always get a warm applause. "I don't think he'll have a problem tomorrow. I think the fans will recognise the eight years he gave them and I think that will be nice." As well as scoring goals, Van Persie has made a good all-round contribution to the United cause and Ferguson thinks he has settled quickly because no acclimatisation was necessary. Ferguson said: "He is a mature player and I think that helps, and the experience he has got playing eight years in England. "The fact he has played in England makes it easier to go to another English club. "It has been very satisfying for us. It has been a fantastic start and hopefully he keeps it going." United have no fresh injuries following their two matches against Chelsea over the past week. Defender Chris Smalling continues to make good progress in training in his recovery from a broken metatarsal, but the game will come too soon. Fellow centre-back Phil Jones (knee) is also not quite ready, while another defender, Nemanja Vidic (knee), and midfielder Shinji Kagawa (knee) remain sidelined. Meanwhile, Wenger maintains revenge will not be on the agenda at Old Trafford. The Gunners return for the first time since they were humiliated 8-2 by the Red Devils in August 2011. Wenger, however, insists while painful at the time, that freak result is now well and truly out of the squad's system. "Revenge? No. Of course there is an emotional aspect to a result like that, but on a footballing front I don't think you give it too much importance," he said. "It is down to a team being much better than another that the scores are high, or down to special circumstances. On the day I think the result was down to special circumstances. "That is why the emotional meaning is big, but the footballing meaning is not very big, and we have had that behind us for a long, long time now." Arsenal report no fresh injury worries from their thrilling midweek Capital One Cup win at Reading. England midfielder Jack Wilshere and full-back Bacary Sagna are both likely to be in contention, but forward Theo Walcott - whose hat-trick helped the Gunners comeback from 4-0 down to win 7-5 - may be back on the bench after playing all 120 minutes at the Madejski Stadium. Midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (hip) faces a fitness test, but winger Gervinho (ankle) will be out for around three weeks, while defender Kieran Gibbs (thigh), first-choice goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny (ankle), midfielder Abou Diaby (thigh) and Czech winger Tomas Rosicky (hamstring) all continue their rehabilitation.