Reds Buzzing Ahead Of Liverpool Visit

No Manchester United player needs lifting for one of the biggest fixtures in world football as Liverpool come to Old Trafford on Saturday. However, there will be a spring in the step of a number of Reds when they return to the Aon Training Complex to prepare for the teatime test with the Merseysiders.

With the international fixtures concluded, all attention is focused on the weekend's titanic tussle between two of the fiercest rivals in the game. As there are so many sub-plots to be added to an always absorbing encounter, the anticipation is already building for a very special occasion.

Louis van Gaal will address some of the questions on every supporter's mind at his pre-match press conference. Is David De Gea set to return? Can Anthony Martial be thrown in for his debut in such a huge clash? Is Wayne Rooney now hunting down Sir Bobby Charlton's United goalscoring record after overtaking the legend's England tally? Will Michael Carrick be fit? Can both teams handle the pressure after disappointing defeats last time out?

What we do know is most of the Reds on international duty can be well pleased with their efforts and should approach Saturday brimming with confidence. Rooney has rightly been gaining the plaudits for his 50th international strike, smashed home from the penalty spot against Switzerland, and any contest with a team from his home city is one he always relishes.

By netting in both England games, securing qualification for Euro 2016 and then top spot in the group, and reaching a landmark many have been obsessing over for some time, he can park his international ambitions and focus on breaking more records at club level.

He is currently 16 goals adrift of Sir Bobby's all-time total of 249 and only four behind second-placed Denis Law. In terms of league strikes, he needs one more to equal Law's 171 – how we all hope that comes against Liverpool as we look to beat our arch rivals again.

Chris Smalling and Luke Shaw also performed well for Roy Hodgson's men and enjoyed plenty of praise in the media. Smalling was named Man of the Match, while the excellent Shaw's assist for Harry Kane's well-taken opener was a clever cut-back. Although Carrick's minor calf injury was a negative, the club's other England representatives should be buzzing.

Also on Tuesday, Juan Mata marked his return to the Spain side with the winner in Macedonia, while De Gea played his first game of the season and kept a clean sheet. Both spoke to the press afterwards, with Mata stating: "I'm confident and I hope this return to the national team will last a long time." We appreciate the European champions have a great side but our no.8 belongs in it.

For De Gea, a bigger examination than the one provided in Skopje will come if he is recalled to face Brendan Rodgers' side, but he was more than equal to the task in last year's fixture. A string of wonderful saves helped provide the platform for a sweet 3-0 success and it was one of the stand-out performances in a campaign that saw him retain the club's Player of the Year award. Van Gaal indicated he would review the keeper's availability once the deadline has passed and it is sure to be one of the first questions the boss will field on the eve of the game.

It would appear the Spanish shot-stopper feels ready to reclaim the jersey at United. "I felt good," he said after Spain's win. "I was really longing to get back playing. I'll keep working and let's see if I have some luck with my club. I'm happy and relaxed about things and will go on working hard and improving, and enjoying my football. I am just happy to have played. I wanted to play and I am very grateful to my team-mates, who have been superb, and to the manager [Vicente del Bosque]."

The decision is down to the manager and let's not forget Sergio Romero was only beaten by an opponent for the first time in the 2-1 reverse at Swansea City. Argentina's no.1 told La Nacion during the international break: "There is no rotation between goalkeepers – a goalkeeper starts or he is benched. They are the only two choices – there is not a third one. Let me tell you, I don't think that the goalkeeper spot at United is already mine but I do know that I have huge support from Louis van Gaal and his staff."

The goalkeeping issue aside, there is the exciting prospect of Old Trafford getting its first glimpse of deadline-day signing Martial. Now a fully-fledged France international, the forward could be handed the chance to become an instant hero with the Reds faithful. So much has already been said and written about our recruit from Monaco that it would be interesting to see if he could surpass expectations and make a real splash from the word go.

Ex-winger Jesper Blomqvist, who scored against Liverpool's Legends side in his native Stockholm last week, was not alone in his opinion when telling MUTV: "I think he is a little bit more of a wildcard. I personally know how hard it is to adapt to the Premier League as it's something different to all the other leagues. It takes more physical presence to adapt. He will get that but it may take a little bit more time for him. There is a little bit of a question mark over how soon he can perform and score goals for United."

While the patience being preached is clearly the most sensible approach, it is worth pondering if Martial will immediately inject some pace into the team, particularly considering van Gaal started James Wilson in this fixture last term for the exact same reason. Wilson, by the way, promoted his own claims with a goal on his debut for England's Under-21s, the winner against USA Under-23s.

It seems a long time already since United's unbeaten start to the campaign came to an end at the Liberty Stadium. Liverpool also lost that weekend, 3-0 at home to West Ham United, after their own promising opening to 2015/16. Both clubs are fully aware of the need to bounce back and stop leaders Manchester City disappearing into the distance. If there was not enough already on the game, the wider context is surely the quest for Barclays Premier League glory.

The pressure is already building and it will be an intense affair again at the weekend. No doubt, the boss will remind journalists he won all three meetings with Liverpool in his first season at the helm, including the International Champions Cup final on tour. The visitors will be without suspended star Philippe Coutinho, following his red card against West Ham, but always represent formidable opponents and expensive striker signing Christian Benteke scored in both matches for his former club Aston Villa against United last term.

So the tension will mount with emotions intensified for this genuine clash of English football's titans. Victory is always more enjoyable, just as defeat is even harder to stomach. Yet the words of assistant manager Ryan Giggs, who speaks with the experience of playing in the fixture 48 times, should calm any nerves.

"Liverpool is the perfect game to have to come back to after the international break," he assured the club's supporters. "Old Trafford will be bouncing for a late kick-off. All the players are looking forward to it and I’m sure the fans are too. Liverpool is always a special game and it’s even more special when you win, so we can’t wait." Neither can we.

Credit: manutd.com