West Ham looking to end United hoodoo

FA Premiership/Manchester Utd v West Ham, Old Trafford, 8.0: West Ham take on Manchester United in the Premiership tonight on the crest of a wave as the club are just 90 minutes away from reaching the FA Cup final, which will guarantee them Uefa Cup football next season.

Qualification for that competition could also be reached via their league position and victory over Alex Ferguson's in-form outfit would move the Hammers level on points with seventh-placed Bolton.

West Ham, however, have beaten United just once in 21 Premiership exchanges. That was 0-1 at Old Trafford on December 8th, 2001, when a teenage Jermain Defoe scored the winner.

United could edge five points in front of Liverpool with a game in hand if Ferguson's side win and the Reds boss says that gap could be crucial. United have two games in hand over Rafael Benitez's men, and Ferguson's side could take another step closer to securing the runner-up spot and automatic Champions League qualification.

"A five-point gap wouldn't be a decisive, but it would be important," Ferguson said. He also hinted that Ruud Van Nistelrooy will start. "It has not been easy for Ruud sitting on the bench but . . . it has been impossible to leave Louis Saha out since the Carling Cup final, given his tremendous scoring form."

Ferguson has drafted untested youngsters Markus Neumayr, Darron Gibson and Richie Jones into his squad. Wes Brown (groin) is again missing, while Kieran Richardson (foot) is also absent after limping out of Sunday's win over Birmingham.

West Ham will check on the fitness of defender Anton Ferdinand who missed the wins over Manchester City and Wigan with a groin injury.

Christian Dailly (hamstring) and Roy Carroll (back) are still out.

MAN UTD (from): Van der Sar, Howard, Neville, Ferdinand, Vidic, Pique, Silvestre, Evra, Ronaldo, Giggs, O'Shea, Park, Fletcher, Van Nistelrooy, Saha, Rooney, Rossi, Neumayr, Gibson, Jones.

WEST HAM (from): Hislop, Walker, Scaloni, Collins, Gabbidon, Ferdinand, Konchesky, Benayoun, Newton, Reo-Coker, Mullins, Etherington, Zamora, Harewood, Ashton, Sheringham, Katan, Clarke, Ward, Fletcher.