Van Nistelrooy boost for United

Ruud van Nistelrooy should be fit to return to the Manchester United line-up against Portsmouth at Old Trafford tomorrow – but John O'Shea and Fabien Barthez are major doubts for the visit of the First Division.

Van Nistelrooy has missed two games with a toe infection but trained yesterday and manager Sir Alex Ferguson has indicated the 18-goal Dutchman will be recalled.

However, O'Shea (calf) and Barthez (groin) both limped out of the midweek win over Sunderland and are struggling for the first leg of a two-game cup double-header with the Worthington Cup tie against Blackburn to follow on Tuesday.

Ricardo and Roy Carroll will battle it out to replace Barthez while O’Shea’s full-back slot will almost certainly be handed to Gary Neville.

PROVISIONAL SQUAD: Carroll, Brown, Ferdinand, Silvestre, Beckham, Veron, Keane, Scholes, van Nistelrooy, Solskjaer, Forlan, G Neville, P Neville, Giggs, Richardson, Ricardo.