Aston Villa v Man Utd preview

O'Neill: Can he outwit Fergie?

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Skysports.com prediction: 1-2

SKY BET odds: Villa 10/3, Draw 5/2, Man Utd 5/6

One to Watch: Cristiano Ronaldo

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Aston Villa will be hoping to claim a rare victory over Manchester United when the two sides meet on Saturday.

Villa have lost their last 11 Premier League encounters with the Red Devils, with their last success coming on the opening day of the 1995/96 season.

Martin O'Neill's side have also won only two of their last 35 fixtures against the so-called 'big four', although one of those victories did come last weekend.

A surprise 2-0 win over Arsenal at Emirates Stadium has helped to lift the mood within the camp and, with European qualification now firmly in their sights, they will welcome the reigning top-flight champions to Villa Park brimming with confidence.

Their form on home soil this season would also suggest that three more points could be heading their way as, having lost last time out, the Villains have won every other game in front of their own supporters.

United, though, have lost just one of their last 15 in all competitions and currently sit eight points adrift of league leaders Chelsea with a game in hand.

They put four past Villa home and away last term and have seen talismanic winger Cristiano Ronaldo rediscover his sparkling form of late.

The Portuguese playmaker has scored six goals in his last four matches, taking his tally to an incredible 39 in his last 35 Premier League starts.

Sir Alex Ferguson's side have also found the target on 36 consecutive Premier League outings - a club record - and will be looking to keep that run going when they travel to the Midlands.

Villa hopes

Any hopes Villa have of upsetting the Red Devils could hang on the performance of their international stars in the wake of the recent round of friendly action.

Gabriel Agbonlahor should be buzzing after being handed his England debut against Germany on Wednesday, while Gareth Barry and Ashley Young were also on show for the Three Lions in Berlin.

Norwegian front-man John Carew could return to the fold following a recent back injury, helping to bolster O'Neill's attacking options.

The only absentee for Villa will be Dutch full-back Wilfred Bouma who continues his rehabilitation from a broken ankle.

Duo doubts

For United, Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand face a race against time to prove their fitness.

Both were forced to sit out England's 2-1 victory in midweek and remain major doubts.

Midfield duo Paul Scholes and Owen Hargreaves continue to struggle with knee problems, while Wes Brown is out for between four and five weeks after an ankle operation.

Dimitar Berbatov picked up a thigh strain while on international duty with Bulgaria and looks set to be sidelined, while Darren Fletcher is still nursing a knee knock.

Possible starting XIs

Aston Villa: Friedel, Cuellar, Laursen, Davies, Luke Young, Ashley Young, Sidwell, Petrov, Barry, Milner, Agbonlahor.

Manchester United: Van der Sar, Da Silva, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Ronaldo, Carrick, O'Shea, Park, Tevez, Rooney.