Five changes for United

Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney both returned for Manchester United as the Barclays Premiership leaders looked to consolidate their six-point lead at the expense of rock-bottom Watford.

The young duo were two of five changes from the side that beat Portsmouth at the weekend, Kieran Richardson, John O’Shea and Gabriel Heinze the other men recalled, with Tomasz Kuszczak keeping his place in goal.

After successive victories in league and cup Watford faced the acid test of their mini-revival but had to do without goalkeeper Ben Foster, Premier League rules preventing the on-loan United man turning out against his own club.

Man Utd: Kuszczak, Neville, Ferdinand, Vidic, Heinze, Ronaldo, O’Shea, Carrick, Richardson, Rooney, Solskjaer.

Subs: Van der Sar, Brown, Park, Larsson, Silvestre.

Watford: Lee, Mariappa, Doyley, DeMerit, Stewart, Smith, Bangura, Francis, Powell, Bouazza, Henderson.

Subs: Chamberlain, Kabba, McNamee, Hoskins, Williamson.

Referee: M Dean (Wirral)