Scholes Nearing Comeback

United have been given a welcome boost with the news that Paul Scholes, Gary Neville and Louis Saha are all close to full fitness.

Owen Hargreaves has also recovered from a knock and is available for the Barclays Premier League trip to Reading on Saturday.

Scholes has been out of action since October after injuring knee ligaments before United's Champions League clash with Dynamo Kyiv. He returned to training over Christmas and will be checked out by United's medical team next Thursday.

If given the go-ahead, he will start full training and could be available for the FA Cup fourth round clash against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday week.

“We are waiting for clearance from the medical staff next Thursday," assistant manager Carlos Queiroz said on Friday.

“We think the medical staff will give Scholes clearance to start full training. If he does get the all-clear he can play immediately. It’s a possibility [he could be involved against Tottenham], or at least he will probably be on the bench.”

The influential midfielder has been training for a number of weeks now and is said to be in excellent shape. “His fitness is fantastic," added Carlos. "He’s training like an 18-year-old. He’s very excited, he can sense that he’ll be back soon."

Neville, meanwhile, could fly out with the squad to Saudi Arabia on Saturday evening for their four-day training camp.

The Reds' defender made his second comeback in the Reserves last week after ten months on the sidelines with ankle ligament trouble. He felt his hamstring in the match against Everton and was forced off at half time.

But Sir Alex Ferguson and his coaching staff will make a decision about the skipper after training on Friday. If he's left behind, he will play for the Reserves against Bolton next Wednesday.

Saha is also ahead of schedule in his race to overcome a knee complaint. The striker missed United's 6-0 demolition of Newcastle last weekend with the knock and the club confirmed he would be out for around three weeks.

But Queiroz says is a step ahead in his rehabilitation and is likely to be back "earlier than expected".