Welcome start for Valencia as Berba warms bench

Antonio Valencia was handed his first start since September but there was still no place in the Manchester United starting line-up for Dimitar Berbatov as the Red Devils squared up to local rivals Bolton at Old Trafford.

Antonio Valencia has been handed his first start since September but there is still no place in the Manchester United starting line-up for Dimitar Berbatov as the Red Devils square up to local rivals Bolton at Old Trafford.

Alex Ferguson, beginning a five-match touchline ban today, also has Jonny Evans back from an ankle injury to partner Chris Smalling in central defence, Wes Brown slotting into the right-back slot, whilst Park Ji-sung and Michael Owen are both on the bench after recent injuries.

Fellow FA Cup semi-finalists Bolton are looking to register their first away win over United since 2002 and have included on-loan forward Daniel Sturridge, who has scored four time in five appearances for the Trotters since arriving from Chelsea.

Man Utd: Van der Sar, Brown, Smalling, Evans, Evra, Valencia, Carrick, Giggs, Nani, Rooney, Hernandez.

Subs: Kuszczak, Owen, Berbatov, Park, Fabio Da Silva, Gibson, Gill.

Bolton: Jaaskelainen, Steinsson, Wheater, Cahill, Robinson, Elmander, Holden, Muamba, Petrov, Kevin Davies, Sturridge.

Subs: Bogdan, Taylor, Klasnic, Moreno, Blake, Alonso, Lee.

Referee: Andre Marriner.