MANCHESTER United receive West Ham, the surprise team of the Premier League so far, tomorrow, then travel to Kosice in Slovakia for their Champions' Cup match the following Wednesday.
In neither game will they have Teddy Sheringham, their new acquisition from Spurs, thanks to his fractured ribs. This exacerbates United's problems up front. The pre-season injury to little Ole Gunnar Solksjaer, last season's revelation, was a severe blow; now Sheringham is out as well. If only Andy Cole could be relied upon to put the chances away, but he remains alarmingly erratic.
At least Paul Scholes, ever lively and versatile, is available to play up front, as he has often done in the past. His awareness in the penalty box makes up for his lack of height, even when it comes to heading at goal. But with the precious 18-year-old Rio Ferdinand marshalling the Hammers' defence - and one hopes quick to get over the traumas of his drink-driving conviction and exclusion from England's squad - West Ham's defence has well survived the departure to Everton of Croatia's stopper, Slaven Bilic.
United's own defence has established as we know a new club record for clean sheets, but with the clever little Israeli international creator Eyal Berkovic making bullets for the likes of John Hartson, Paul Kitson and Iain Dowie to fire, I fancy Peter Schmeichel may at last give away at least a goal.
In Kosice, United will be obliged to play in a stadium which holds a mere 10,000 since the club is rebuilding its own stadium and its president has stubbornly refused to switch the game to Bratislava.
Arsenal, with the bleak prospect of losing Ian Wright, suspended, for many games, should have the beating of Bolton at Highbury.