Stoke City v. Manchester United - Match Preview

Stoke City vs. Manchester United
Wednesday 13th July 2003, Britannia Stadium Stadium
Friendly Match

Sir Alex Ferguson is expected to field a strong side for the match, including many of United's new signings to give his squad more match practice ahead of Saturday's Premiership opener against Bolton Wanderers.

Fabien Barthez is looking set to start in goal for United. The French international 'keeper was not included in the squad for Sunday's Community Shield victory, and will be desperate to prove a point as he looks to win the battle for the United Number 1 spot.

Barthez's participation in the Confederations Cup saw him miss the pre-season tour of the United States, so getting another 90 minutes under his belt will be vital.

Eric Djemba-Djemba and Mikael Silvestre both also missed the US tour, and are both expected to start tonight.

Sir Alex is also expected to give some of United's younger players who are looking to gain a regular spot in the United squad a start this evening. Darren Fletcher and Kieran Richardson have both been hailed by the media in recent weeks, and will be desperate to prove they were worth the praise.

Questions marks lie over whether new signings Kleberson and Christian Ronaldo will be thrust straight into match action tonight, as a friendly against a hard-working side such as Stoke City is not always the best debut for a new foreign signing!

For the home side, 'keeper Ed de Goey will be one familiar name on the team sheet for United fans, as the Potters look set to name their first choice side in a game the team and fans will be taking very seriously.

Potters boss Tony Pullis has underlined the importance of the friendly.

"It's a massive game for the fans, and we are desperate to give them a good game." said Pullis.

"It's the best possible preparation for the new season, and will bring some money to the club."

Following a mixed set of results in pre-season, including a disappointing 4-2 defeat at the hands of Rhyl, Stoke kicked off their league campaign in style with a 3-0 away win over Derby County. Supporters are starting to believe that the side can challenge for a Playoff place this season, and Saturday's performance was a superb way to kick-off their season.

Stoke even moved their Carling League Cup match with Rochdale to next Wednesday to accommodate this friendly, which will be extremely financially beneficial for the Potters.

18,000 tickets have already been sold for the match, and United will undoubtedly be backed by a very vocal travelling support.

For those of you not travelling to the Britannia Stadium Stadium, the game is being shown live on MUtv.

His best season for Chelsea was the 1999/2000 campaign, when he was hailed as one of the Premiership's best 'keepers.

Stoke supporters will be hoping he can perform his magic in the First Division, as the Potters aim for a playoff push.

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