Burnley vs. Man Utd

Barclays Premier League
Venue: Turf Moor Date: Wed, 19 August Kick-off: 19h45 BST
Coverage: BBC Sport website, BBC Radio 5 Live, local radio & highlights on Match of the Day

• TEAM NEWS

Burnley have defensive problems with captain Steven Caldwell unlikely to recover from a groin problem in time and Michael Duff (ankle) ruled out.

David Edgar is back from suspension and could make his debut alongside Andre Bikey, who has joined from Reading.

With Jonny Evans (ankle) struggling, Wes Brown could partner John O'Shea at the back for Manchester United.

Rio Ferdinand is out for two weeks with a thigh injury, while Nemanja Vidic (calf) remains sidelined.

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Burnley

Suspended: NoneDoubtful: Caldwell (groin)

Injured: Duff (ankle)

Manchester United

Suspended: None Doubtful: Evans (ankle)

Injured: Ferdinand (thigh), Hargreaves (knee), Obertan (unspecified), Neville (groin), Rafael (shoulder), van der Sar (hand), Vidic (calf)

• MATCH PREVIEW

Top flight football returns to Turf Moor after a 33-year absence, with a full house expected for the visit of champions Manchester United. The Clarets began the season with defeat at Stoke but are a different proposition at home, where they have won their last six league games.

Owen Coyle's side also proved their pedigree by beating Arsenal, Chelsea, Fulham and West Brom in cup competitions last season.

The Clarets could give a debut to Andre Bikey, who has not played since being sent off at Turf Moor on play-off duty with Reading in May. Due to a technicality he completes his four-match ban when Reading play Swansea on Tuesday despite having left the Royals.

The last time Burnley beat the Red Devils was in 1968, when the visitors' line-up included George Best, Denis Law and Sir Bobby Charlton.

It's that kind of star quality that United arguably lack following the departures of Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez but Sir Alex Ferguson insists new heroes will emerge as the Red Devils try to become the first English side to win four consecutive league titles.

Wayne Rooney looks the most likely candidate, following up his strike in the Community Shield with the only goal against Birmingham on Sunday.

• MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

• This will be the first top flight game between the sides since Manchester United won 1-0 at Turf Moor on 19 April 1976.

• They have met three times in the League Cup since then, with the Red Devils winning on each occasion (a two-legged tie in 1984 and one-off game in 2002).

• Burnley's last win against the Red Devils was 1-0 at Turf Moor on 14 September 1968.

Burnley

• Last season it took Burnley five games before they notched up their first win in the Championship. They beat Nottingham Forest on 13 September, over a month into the campaign.

• Burnley have won their last six home league games. Sheffield Wednesday were the last team to take maximum points from Turf Moor, winning 4-2 on 28 February (Arsenal also won there in the FA Cup on 8 March).

• The Clarets beat Premier League opposition five times in cup competitions last year. They beat West Brom in the FA Cup and Fulham, Chelsea (via a penalty shoot-out) and Arsenal in the League Cup before facing Tottenham in the semi-finals. Though they lost on aggregate to Spurs, they did win the second leg 3-2.

Manchester United

• The Red Devils have won all but one of their last 10 league games, the exception being a goalless draw at home to Arsenal on 16 May.

• The champions have also won nine of their last 10 away games in the top flight, a run stretching back to last December. Their only slip-up since then was the 2-0 loss at Fulham on 18 February.

• Man Utd took maximum points against the promoted clubs last season, scoring 20 goals against Hull, Stoke and West Brom. They were similarly ruthless in 2007/08, winning all six games against Sunderland, Birmingham and Derby.

• The Red Devils won their 18th league title (11 in Premier League) with 90 points in 2008/09 - their highest tally since 2000. They also equalled their club record of 28 wins in a Premier League season.

• LEADING GOALSCORERS

Burnley (last season)

Martin Paterson: 19 goals (13 league); StevenThompson: 11 goals (8 league)

Manchester United (this season)

Wayne Rooney 1 goal (1 league)*

*Community Shield not included

• MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Phil Dowd

Assistant referees: Adam Watts, Trevor Massey

Fourth official: Mark Halsey

• LAST LEAGUE MATCH LINE-UPS

Burnley (L0-2 v Stoke, a): Jensen, Mears, Carlisle, Jordan, Kalvenes, Alexander (Thompson 82), Paterson (Eagles 72), Elliott, McCann, Blake (Guerrero 72), Steven Fletcher.

Man Utd (W1-0 v Birmingham, a): Foster, Fabio Da Silva, O'Shea, Jonny Evans (Brown 75), Evra, Valencia, Fletcher, Scholes, Nani (Giggs 46), Berbatov (Owen 74), Rooney.

• MOST RECENT MEETING

Burnley 0-2 Man Utd, 3 Dec 2002

Man Utd scorers: Forlan 35, Solskjaer 65

From BBC