Man Utd vs. Hull

Barclays Premier League
Venue: Old Trafford Date: Saturday, 23 January 2010 Kick-off: 1500 GMT
Coverage: BBC Sport website, BBC Radio 5 Live, local radio & Final Score

• TEAM NEWS

Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand will make his long-awaited return from a back injury against Hull.

Nemanja Vidic remains sidelined with a calf complaint, but Dimitar Berbatov has recovered from a dead leg.

Hull City boss Phil Brown will monitor Kamil Zayatte's ankle injury, but otherwise has no fresh injury concerns.

New loan signing Amr Zaki is not likely to make the squad after arriving in Hull from Egyptian club Zamalek short of fitness.

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Man Utd

Doubtful: Foster (back), Macheda (hamstring)

Injured: Hargreaves (knee), O'Shea (thigh), Vidic (nerve in leg)

Hull

Doubtful: Zaki (match fitness), Zayatte (ankle)

Injured/unavailable: Ashbee & Bullard (both knee), Cousin & Olofinjana (both Africa Cup of Nations)

• MATCH PREVIEW

Manchester United will go top of the Premier League table if they maintain their 100% Premier League record against Saturday's visitors Hull.

With title rivals Arsenal and Chelsea in FA Cup fourth-round action, that shock early exit to Leeds could prove to be a silver lining as United look to reignite their season.

The champions' stuttering form has seen them win only four of their last nine games in all competitions, with Tuesday's Carling Cup semi-final defeat to rivals Manchester City the latest example of their fragility.

Sir Alex Ferguson's side will welcome back Rio Ferdinand, who has not played since the defeat at Liverpool in October due to a long-standing back injury - a timely boost following the news that John O'Shea is likely to miss the rest of the season after suffering a blood clot in his leg.

Hull head to Old Trafford knowing any points return will see them break free of the bottom three. The Tigers have won only four league games all season and are yet to win away from home, but Phil Brown will be hoping last weekend's battling display at Tottenham and a week of warm-weather training in Tenerife can inspire his team to an unlikely victory.

• MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

• Manchester United have never lost a league game at home to Hull (W8, D1).

• Hull's only win at Old Trafford came in an FA Cup third-round tie in 1952 when they won 2-0.

• United have won their last six league and cup matches against Hull since a 2-0 away defeat in the old Division Two in November 1974.

Man Utd

• United have won their last eight home league matches in January without conceding a goal.

• The club's last six league goals have all come in the second half. In total, 34 of their 49 Premier League goals this season have been scored in the second half - the most in the division.

• Wayne Rooney needs one goal to equal his career-best league tally of 16, set in 2005-06.

• Dimitar Berbatov is set to make his 50th league appearance for Manchester United. He has scored 16 goals in 49 matches.

Hull

• Hull are winless in their last seven league matches (D4, L3), and have failed to score in four of their last six.

• They have not won in their last 16 league away matches since a 1-0 victory at Fulham on 4 March. If they fail to win on Saturday it will be the longest run by a Premier League team without an away victory since Derby County failed to win any of their 19 away games in 2007-08.

• This is manager Phil Brown's 150th game in charge of the Tigers.

• LEADING GOALSCORERS

Man Utd

Rooney: 16 goals (15 league); Berbatov: 7 goals (7 league); Owen: 7 goals (2 league)

Hull

Hunt: 5 goals (5 league); Geovanni: 5 goals (3 league)

• MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Steve Bennett

Assistant referees: Bob Pollock & Andy Garratt

Fourth official: Nigel Miller

• LAST LEAGUE MATCH LINE-UPS

Man Utd (W3-0 v Tottenham, h): Van der Sar; Neville, Brown, Jonathan Evans, Evra, Valencia, Carrick (Anderson 66), Scholes, Nani, Berbatov (Owen 73), Rooney (Diouf 74). Subs not used: Kuszczak, Park, Fabio Da Silva, Rafael Da Silva.

Hull (D0-0 v Tottenham, a): Myhill; McShane, Zayatte, Gardner, Dawson, Garcia (Mouyokolo 83), Boateng, Hunt, Barmby (Kilbane 65), Geovanni (Vennegoor of Hesselink 75), Fagan. Subs not used: Duke, Mendy, Ghilas, Cairney.

• MOST RECENT MEETING

Hull 1-3 Man Utd (27 December 2009)

Hull scorer: Fagan 59 pen.

Man Utd scorers: Rooney 45, Dawson 73 (og), Berbatov 82.

From BBC