Team news

Carrick makes United return Michael Carrick returns to the Manchester United squad for Sunday's Premier League encounter with Fulham at Old Trafford.

Carrick missed Wednesday's hammering of AC Milan through suspension but is set to replace Paul Scholes, who followed up his goalscoring exploits at Wolves with an outstanding contribution in midweek.

Ryan Giggs is still a week ago from a return after breaking his arm last month, while Ritchie De Laet is set for a spell on the sidelines after suffering a leg injury in last night's reserve team encounter with Manchester City.

Victory at Wolves last weekend may have been scrappy, but it contained exactly the right ingredients boss Sir Alex Ferguson looks for at this stage of the season.

He has been down this road so many times before and can sense glory again.

"That match was the best indicator of our chances," he said. "We have had these kind of games over the years, where players are prepared to battle against a very determined team.

"It is not the kind of game you like to watch or enjoy because it was such a battle.

"But the players stood up to it and wanted to win because of the importance of the game.

"That is the way it is going to be to the end of the season." Fulham forward Clint Dempsey could be in line to make his first start for two months in Sunday's match against Barclays Premier League leaders Manchester United.

Dempsey came off the bench to make his comeback from a serious knee injury against Juventus on Thursday.

Captain Danny Murphy faces a fitness test on a groin injury while Nicky Shorey, who was cup tied for the Juventus match, could replace Paul Konchesky at left-back.

The Red Devils lost 3-0 at Craven Cottage in December and Konchesky thinks Fulham can shut out Rooney and co again and even come away from Old Trafford with a result.

"We have Brede (Hangeland) and Aaron (Hughes) in defence. They are strong, quick, good in the air and read the game well, so they have great ability to stop him (Rooney)," said Konchesky.

Man Utd vs Fulham

Last modified 20:15 14/03/10

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Manchester United buried a time capsule at Old Trafford yesterday to mark 100 years at their famous home.

But amongst the various memorabilia they failed to include the most precious item at United right now - a pair of Wayne Rooney's boots.

In years to come, Rooney will be talked of in the same breath as Sir Bobby Charlton, George Best, Denis Law and Ryan Giggs, United icons whose legendary status is assured.

And the frightening thing is that the player Sir Alex Ferguson, the Laird of Old Trafford, has based his whole campaign around this season is still only 24.

Against Fulham, Rooney continued his one-man mission to secure United two record-breaking landmarks this season - a fourth straight title and a 19th in all.

Rooney's brace took his goal tally for the season to 32, including 24 in his last 22 games, as United leapfrogged Arsenal and Chelsea to move back to the top of the table.

With potentially 13 games left this season, Rooney has every chance of matching Cristiano Ronaldo's 42-goal total from the 2007-08 season or Ruud van Nistelrooy's 44-goal haul in 2002-03.

But if he can maintain his current remarkable strike rate, United's spud-faced striker may even come close to Law's record of 46 goals in a single campaign, set nearly half a century ago.

But Rooney's value to United is measured not just in goals, as plentiful as they have been this season, but in his remorseless work-rate and willingness to drop deep to help his team-mates.

Never was that more evident than for United's final goal, scored by Dimitar Berbatov and set up by Ji-Sung Park, but created ultimately by Rooney's majestic, sweeping ball out wide to the Korean.

AC Milan coach Leonardo hailed Rooney as the complete player after the England striker inspired United to a 4-0 win over the Italians in midweek, again plundering two goals in the process.

And against Fulham, Rooney validated that high praise, single-handedly destroying Fulham with a performance that dispelled any fear that he may suffer burn-out before the World Cup.

For Rooney is a player who needs little rest, one whose inherent desire and playground-style exuberance means the more he plays, the better he plays. It is a simple, but devastatingly effective, equation.

Proof of that is the fact Rooney has started 19 of United's last 21 games and still looks as fresh, dangerous and deadly as he did on the first weekend of the season.

According to Sir Alex Ferguson, Rooney is like a hyperactive child on Champions League trips, a bundle of pent-up energy who is unable to sit still on match-days in the team hotel.

Rooney's release comes on the field of play, just as it did yesterday, when he set United on their way to a routine win 30 seconds after the break, following a frustrating first-half for United.

Danny Murphy and Chris Baird won the central midfield battle with Darren Fletcher and Michael Carrick, while Bobby Zamora spurned a glorious chance to score in the 37th minute, volleying over the bar.

But Rooney's goal so soon after the restart broke Fulham's first-half resilience and proved the platform for a vital win for United.

A quick one-two with Nani ended with Rooney opening up his right foot to guide the ball into the far corner, beyond the reach of Fulham keeper Mark Schwarzer.   

United laid siege to the Fulham goal thereafter, Rooney and Nemanja Vidic both spurning headed chances, before Fulham's Bobby Zamora was guilty of the most shocking miss of the game.

Zamora found himself with only Edwin van der Sar to beat in the 74th minute but seemed to gripped by a lack of confidence, allowing Vidic enough time to get back and make a crucial challenge to dispossess him.

It proved a costly miss as United grabbed a second goal 10 minutes later. Michael Carrick found Berbatov with a sumptuous long-range ball and the Bulgarian beat two men before picking out Rooney, who applied another assured finish.

Berbatov's guile, vision and industry was rewarded with a goal in the 89th minute, arriving at the near post to nod home Park's dipping cross from Rooney's long cross-field ball.

Fergie has set his players a goal of winning their final eight games to clinch a record-breaking title. If Rooney can maintain his imperious current form, that target is very much within United's sights.