Cup Draw Forces Rethink

Sir Alex Ferguson is reconsidering his usual policy of fielding younger players in the League Cup after the Reds were paired with Newcastle in the Capital One-sponsored competition.

The Magpies will provide tough opposition in the third round stage and could prompt the manager to opt for a more experienced side than the one selected at Leeds for the opening cup fixture last year. However, with the game sandwiched between Barclays Premier League meetings with Liverpool and Tottenham, there could still be a place for some of Warren Joyce's impressive Under-21 squad.

"I think to myself it lies between Liverpool and Tottenham and I say, well I'll play the young ones but playing Newcastle means they will bring 7,000 fans with them for a cup tie at Old Trafford and play their strongest team," he told MUTV.

"Now I'll have to give careful consideration to what team I play. We've got Liverpool on the Sunday before and Tottenham on Saturday afterwards so it's going to be a pretty busy week."