Reds, Magpies in fourth-place ‘playoff’

Fulham, already nine points behind third-placed United, lead the chasing pack ahead of Charlton Athletic, Liverpool and then Newcastle.

Robson rejects any notion that the race for fourth place will come down to a straight battle between his side and Liverpool, both of whom, on paper at least, possess the resources and the players to make a sustained challenge.

“You cannot say it is just between us and Liverpool,” Robson said. “For example, Charlton are doing remarkably well, Fulham are hanging in there and a few other sides are not too far away from us.

“I think there are as many as six teams who are fighting for that fourth spot, that is if we all think the top three positions are already taken — and the chances are that this is the case with those teams already so far ahead.

“We’ve got to be realistic about that, so we’ll just look to keep pushing on. We know if we can hit winning form then we can get up the league. There are a cluster of clubs around us but I know, with respect to those other sides, that we can head that cluster.”

Liverpool will be without injured England striker Michael Owen who traditionally thrives against Newcastle, while Harry Kewell is also a doubt with an ankle injury sustained in the midweek League Cup defeat at home by Bolton.

The 3-2 reverse at Anfield prompted Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier to an issue an ultimatum to his players. “The players have to know they have a responsibility,” the Frenchman said. “Only men can have that responsibility. If you cannot bear the responsibility you have got to move on — or rot in the reserves.”

Scholes close to return

• Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes is set to make his comeback from injury in next weekend’s Manchester derby. The England international is recovering from groin surgery, which has kept him out since October 25.

United play Aston Villa tomorrow, when the senior players rested for the mid-week League Cup defeat at West Bromwich Albion will return.

Scholes, who also missed five games earlier in the season because of the same problem, is back in full training and should play in a friendly at Bristol City on Wednesday before for the premier league game against Manchester City on December 13.

United have missed Scholes’s ability to operate just behind a central striker as an extra attacking option as they have been below their best recently.

Defender Wes Brown is also lined up to figure in the game at Bristol City as he nears a first-team return after missing the entire season following knee surgery and striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is also approaching full fitness following a knee operation.

“Ole Gunnar Solksjaer is doing serious running exercises. I expect him back in the team at the beginning of January. They are very close now, which is great news,” Ferguson added.

Arsenal without Henry

• Arsene Wenger will travel to Leicester City without skipper Patrick Vieira and striker Thierry Henry. Vieira made his comeback after a two-month absence with athigh injury in Tuesday’s 5-1 League Cup win over Wolverhampton Wanderers and had been expected to make the trip to the Walkers Stadium.

But wary of repeating his mistake in October by bringing Vieira back too soon from a previous injury, Wenger said: “He’s not in the squad, I’ve left him out completely because I want to sharpen him up fitness-wise.”

Henry, vital to the Arsenal cause as both a creator andscorer of goals, is nursing a muscle problem.

As in Vieira’s case, Wenger’s thinking will also reflect the fact that Arsenal have their decisive final Champions League group game at home to Lokomotiv Moscow on Wednesday. (Reuters)