Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, has said there is good news on the horizon for club and fans as players are making quick recoveries from injury.

Owen Hargreaves and Ryan Giggs have both been on the sidelines of late and both are close to full returns to the team. Hargreaves has been out for a long time with a troublesome knee and Giggs broke his arm in a match just after the New Year.

United will need all of their playing staff fit and firing if they are going to have any chance of winning another title but things are looking good as they have missed players at regular points through the current season.

Ferguson said: “Ryan will be fit for the Liverpool game. His performances in training have been fantastic. He is getting another plaster on today but we will be getting a fresh player back, which is good.”

“For weeks we had to try and work out the best games for him to play in, in terms of freshness and rest. Now he has had a month’s rest. Owen Hargreaves went to see a specialist on Thursday and that’s why he didn’t play but there’s nothing wrong and he’s training.”

“He’ll play in the next game, he has to play in the next game because he’s ready to play. Roy Hodgson has great experience, the kind of experience you need in international management. He would be ideal for that type of thing.”

“But I don’t think you can’t pre-empt that. I am sure if Fabio does well at the World Cup, he will want to stay on as England manager. Why would he not want to? It is the hardest challenge for him because the expectation is high and he looks to me to be the type that relishes that. Roy has brought his experience and authority to the club. He has formed a team that no-one likes to play against. They are very well organised and they play with great discipline. That is down to the manager.”

United will be going for a little bit of revenge on Sunday after the drubbing that Fulham gave them in the Premier League match at Craven Cottage. Fulham ran out 3-0 winners on that occasion.

It was an occasion when United were having to mix up their defence every single week and now that they have a settled side, it is likely that they could get a result in front of their own fans on their own ground.

Hargreaves probably won’t start but if things are going well during the game he will get thrown on at some point. He is likely to get a standing ovation because he has been a loyal player to the club during his injury when he could have packed the game in or gone elsewhere.

United need the win and for once there are no shortage of players who want to put their hand up and be counted.

Rafa Benitez has reportedly told his players that he is sick of them playing the blame game and it is time for one and all to stand up and be counted.

Liverpool have not played good and attractive football for a very long time, which has led to a number of poor and disappointing results.

This has led to many people pointing the finger of blame as the players and fans have gone in search of answers. As far as the manager is concerned, enough is enough and he wants everyone to stand up and be counted until the end of the season.

He said: “I don’t think it is right to suggest there is any lack of trust between the players. You can look at last season as an example of that when these same players were doing well, playing with confidence and winning games and there was not a problem.”

“But against Wigan the keeper (Jose Reina ) was blaming the defenders for something that was wrong and the defenders were blaming the keeper. It happens in games but I don’t like it. If you are showing your disappointment with that sort of body language it is sending out the wrong message.”

“It is not positive and I don’t want to see this sort of reaction. I accept that each player is different but it is important to show leadership qualities and the right approach to your team-mates. I have told them I want an improvement and that if an error is made the person responsible must be kept on board.”

It has not helped the club that many key players have been injured for important games and key stages of the season. It is no wonder Liverpool have been losing points if they have not been able to name their best side ever week.

One such player, Glen Johnson, hopes to return in Europe. He said: “We know they are going to have some players with pace in certain areas. They’re well-organised and will work hard, and we know they are playing very well at home. I’ve been out for a while but I feel really good, although I’m just getting my match fitness back.”

Benitez does have a very good point. When a team is not playing well, they do rely upon team spirit to try and get them through each game. This case is no different and Liverpool must stick together if they are to have any chance of clinging onto fourth spot.

There are many areas the side can improve upon but history has shown that lower quality teams can succeed if they have a good team spirit and believe in each other. All Benitez is asking for is a little togetherness at a crucial stage.

Once Liverpool get a first choice team back on the field and once the players put their squabbles to one side, they are capable of repeating the performances of beating the likes of Manchester United on their own ground last year.

Things do not appear to be getting any better for Liverpool with a defeat at the hands of Wigan and a brand new controversy for Steven Gerrard.

The Liverpool captain appeared to make an insulting gesture towards referee, Andre Marriner, during the match last night after he was booked for sliding into a challenge a little too late.

Marriner talked to the player and booked him before Gerrard appeared to make a v sign at the referee while he was backing away from the incident.

It is just the thing that Rafa Benitez said recently that he was looking to avoid as he tries to gear up his side for a difficult run in to the current Premier League campaign. Liverpool’s frailties were once again exposed.

Benitez said: “I don’t know, I was too far away. We have to be really disappointed. After a defeat always you cannot be happy, but after a defeat in this way … the first half we didn’t do anything. We gave the ball away, we didn’t win any first or second ball and that is difficult to explain.”

“I think it was a question of attitude in the first half. Sometimes we played too quickly, we were in too much of a hurry. It was a poor half. In the second half there was a much better attitude, but it was not enough.”

“We had some chances but we didn’t play well. If you approach the game in this kind of way you cannot win this kind of game — or maybe any game. Everyone is very low. There are too many things we cannot understand.”

You would have to say that based on this result, Liverpool will not be playing Champions League football next season.

The point is that when big teams play well but do not score too many goals, they always manage to find a way to win the game. This often leads to a number of valuable points by the time the end of the season arrives.

Liverpool simply cannot afford any more mistakes and they will have to rely on the teams above them to make their own. The only problem is that these teams very rarely make such mistakes.

No doubt the club will let the Gerrard row wash over like water off of a duck’s back but the point is that they just do not seem to be going anywhere quickly. The club need to start winning and stay out of the headlines for all of the wrong reasons.

Wigan will be pleased that they managed to battle through a game they would have been expected to lose. Roberto Martinez has been coming under a lot of pressure himself and this will result will go a long way to acting as a pressure release valve.

Wigan need a few more points to maintain their security in the Premier League and they’ll be happy they have bagged another three and stayed out of the limelight.

Liverpool manager, Rafa Benitez, is demanding focus ahead of Liverpool’s Premier League run in.

The manager has been under a lot of pressure and scrutiny in recent weeks because the fans have been saying the club doesn’t seem to be going any where under his management.

Liverpool have not been playing attractive football for a very long time and Benitez is demanding the focus, which is the only thing that has kept them in with a shout of securing a Champions League place for next year.

He said: “Manchester City, Tottenham and Aston Villa will be very dangerous so we cannot make many mistakes. We know last year was really good in terms of points in the league (86) and now we are in a different and more difficult situation because the expectations were very high.”

“It is really difficult because we have three or four teams really close. We have to keep this momentum and prove, show everyone else, we are good enough. I prefer to be positive and we will play well and continue to win.”

“We had problems on the right side (against Blackburn) with Mascherano playing full-back, which was a difficult decision. All the teams have good and bad moments, but they still have to carry on and go forward. If you analyse some games we have had too many injuries with big names unable to play.”

It is very difficult to see Liverpool hanging onto the fourth place position, which they have made their own for so very long. There are too many sides around them in better form who are capable of causing a huge upset and breaking into the top four.

Liverpool also do not look like a side who are in full sync with each other. There are too many injuries appearing in too many areas of the side, which will cost the team when the points are totted up at the end of the year.

The situation for them is quite a complex one to sort out. The ownership problems that once plagued the club do not seem to be a problem any more but the weakness of the over all squad definitely is.

There is still too much reliance on too few players at the club and it will take everyone pulling together to make the situation look much brighter for the club.

The problem is that Liverpool are playing the sort of football that a lot of lower league teams are well known for. When you use this style against a team that knows it inside out, it becomes very hard to win games and rack up points.

Benitez talks of focus and this means focus in every aspect of football. Liverpool will have to produce moments of pure quality, which have been lacking if they want to be the side that hangs onto that final Champions League position. It is a race that is certain to go right down to the final day of the season.

Former Manchester United legend, Ole Solskjaer, has said that his old team cannot afford to make any mistakes in the build up to the end of the season.

United are currently fighting for the title, which will mean they have secured more league victories than the old record that Liverpool set during the 1980s when they were arguably the best team in the world.

Solskjaer, who now coaches the United reserve team, says that even one slip up will cost United the title, as there are a number of teams circling around like vultures, waiting to make a title push.

He said: “We can put a good run together but we can’t afford any more slip-ups if we’re going to realistically challenge for the title. The players know that, the manager knows that and we’re geared up.”

“Whenever you see a striker scoring goals you are happy for him. Wayne’s really put the practice in on the training ground, repeating and repeating himself. That’s what it’s all about as a striker, to get the repetition in, and then you can act on instincts rather than having to think about it when you get on the pitch.”

“You see how successful he’s been and you see how he goes about his business. That’s a recipe for success. He wants people around him who are just as hungry as him and want to win to make United the best team in the world.”

The striker has been considered as Sir Alex Ferguson’s best ever purchase during his time in charge at United. It is also clear that his coaching role means he is still a respected person and many at the club would do well to pay close attention to him.

United’s likely challengers are going to be Chelsea and Arsenal from this point onwards. All of these teams are waiting for each other to make mistakes and as soon as that happens, there will be a gap between the teams.

History has shown that the team who does not make one mistake in the run up to the end of the season always tends to go on and win it with relative ease. United also have much more experience in how to deal with the current situation than the other sides around them.

Arsenal are the outside bet while Chelsea lead the pack and United are just off the shoulder of the blue London side. There best chance to sneak ahead is when they meet Chelsea, as this will provide the chance to take three points off of their main title rivals.

Solskjaer saw it all during his time with the club and experienced many situations like the current one going on with the team. He will be hoping that he can offer guidance and assistance to help Ferguson reach a record 19th title for the club. It will be a tough and up hill challenge but it is clear the Norwegian and the club have lost not a single part of hunger and desire.

Liverpool captain and England player, Steven Gerrard, has said the decision to leave close relatives at home for this World Cup is the right one.

A lot was made during the 2006 World Cup over the fact that wives, girlfriends and close relatives of players were allowed to travel with the players to the international tournament.

Media pundits have said that this is the worst possible thing, which will affect a player’s preparation before a game because he clearly will not be focused on the football.

Gerrard said: “When I joined up a couple of days ago and Fabio [Capello] told me I was captain, I was delighted. I don’t think we make too much of it. Every kid dreams of being England captain. I was no different. But Rio has been put in to become the captain and in an ideal situation, if he’s fit, he’s a massive player for us.”

“It’s not just as captain. The spotlight’s on every player, even more so the closer you get to the World Cup. The manager has taken the decision to take the captaincy off John and, as another player, you have to respect his decision.”

“I don’t know whether having the WAGs there [for the 2006 World Cup in Germany] affected our performance, but my wife won’t be there. Not unless we get to the semis or the final.”

Capello’s banning of these relatives is part of the disciplined regime, which he promised to install from the moment he walked through the door of the FA to do the job.

Hopefully the move will benefit the team and they will be ready and prepared to take on some of the best teams in the world. It is important at all stages that not a single player in the squad is distracted by any thing, which is going on off the field.

All the time there are relatives at the ground or staying with the players, a part of the players will be thinking about them. Capello wants them to know nothing but football for as long as the side are in the World Cup.

His results since he started the job have been pretty good so you cannot really argue about his methods. The only teams England have lost to have been full of world-class players on top of their form.

England’s job will be to play football as only the English know and if the players start missing their loved ones and friends, it could even work in favour of the national team.

When they approach games, they could be so fired up that they launch themselves into the game with a lot more intensity and passion. This can only bode well for the chances of the team in South Africa.

Whether the Wags were a problem last time round is not known. No one is ready enough to admit they were. However, them not being there cannot harm the team in any way.

Here we go again. Another needless round of international friendlies, another needless round of inevitable injuries.

I know who my money is on to come back from the midweek ‘friendly’ exchanges with a niggling injury at the very least – Fernando Torres. Rafael Benitez’s decision to include his star striker in the squad against Manchester City last week may have come as a boost to most Liverpool fans, but for me the timing could not have come any worse.

His 15 minute cameo appearance during the Eastlands stalemate was all the encouragement Spanish national team boss Vincente del Bosque needed to include him in his squad to face Les Bleus at the Stade de France on Wednesday, one of 30 worldwide international matches that day.

They say lightning never strikes twice, but it was in this very stadium that former Reds player Djibril Cisse suffered the second horrific leg break of his Anfield career and for Torres, the lightning never seems to stop.

‘El Nino’ has more often than not come back from international duty with some form of injury, usually related to his troublesome groin. True, the Spaniard has never suffered injury on quite the same level as former France international Cisse, but the omens do not look good.

An unfit Torres has already won ‘pool games this season, most notably against Manchester United, but in truth he was never going to make a difference against City – a woeful game of few chances which saw both sides conjure up a measly one shot on target each.

Delaying the 25-year-old’s return until Sunday’s win over Blackburn, in which an unfit Torres proved a match winner for the Reds once again, could have been hailed as a masterstroke by Benitez – as the Spain squad had already been announced and del Bosque would have been none the wiser of the striker’s availability.

If Rafa wasn’t so stubborn, he could learn a thing a two from his nemesis Alex Ferguson who has been protecting his top players from being involved in pointless international friendlies for years, and he gets away with it.

It’s as simple as delaying a return or releasing a fake injury statement, but it can save weeks or even months on a player’s fitness. Some might say Torres needs the minutes under his belt, but I for one would much prefer to see the Spaniard play 75 minutes in a reserve game at Prenton Park than have him travelling to Paris to be left open to hefty challenges from a host of eager Frenchmen playing for an undeserved World Cup place.

It could be a poor physio in their national set-up or it could just be coincidence, but something is not quite right and I fear for Fernando’s fitness every time he ventures off with his compatriots.

Benitez knows it too, he’s made no secret of his disapproval of how Torres is looked after on his travels with Spain. But the boss has played right into his countrymen’s hands and, should Torres pick up a knock on Wednesday, Rafa will only have himself to blame.