WALCOTT WANTS UNITED REVENGE

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No news was good news on Friday morning when Sir Alex Ferguson declared a clean bill of health for the 14 senior players who conquered Milan so impressively on Wednesday night.

Even better, Ryan Giggs will soon be fit to join them; the veteran will miss Fulham on Sunday but should return for the perennial blockbuster against Liverpool seven days later.

"Ryan has been training well, and he'll be getting a different plaster cast on his arm today," said Sir Alex. "We'll be getting a fresh player back. For weeks we were trying to formulate what the best games would be to play him in to keep him fresh. But he’s had a month’s rest now and he’s going to come back very fresh."

The only blow to arise from midweek activity was the injury to young defender Ritchie De Laet, sustained in last night's reserve-team derby with Manchester City. The versatile Belgian has made six first-team appearances this season but he's unlikely to play at any level for the next few weeks.

Owen Hargreaves missed the 2-2 draw with City at Altrincham but although this was meant to be his comeback game, Sir Alex says there's no new issue.

"Owen went to see the specialist yesterday, that's why he didn't play last night," explained the boss. "There’s nothing wrong, he’s been training and he’ll definitely play in the next reserve game (next Thursday, at home to Burnley)."

Two players Sir Alex is delighted to have at his disposal again are Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic. The pair were back together for only the second time since October against Milan and Sir Alex feels their contributions are going to be vital over the coming weeks.

"I thought they were absolutely fantastic on Wednesday and it was an amazing performance from both of them especially as they haven’t played that many games together," said the boss, who also has Michael Carrick available to face Fulham after missing the Milan clash through suspension.

"Having them back is great for us and the consistency and experience they bring gives us a big chance."

The Reds could be third by the time they kick-off against Fulham on Sunday lunchtime with both Chelsea and Arsenal in action on Saturday, although they would have the chance to regain top spot with a positive result against the Cottagers.

Sir Alex says confidence is high within the squad and insists his players are well prepared for what could be a tough test against a side who, under Roy Hodgson, have made giant strides forward in the last two years.

"It's a remarkable story," declared the United manager. "Roy has formed a team that no-one likes to play against – they’re well organised, they keep possession well and can pass the ball.

"He has brought his experience and authority to the club and Fulham play with great discipline which is down to the manager. He’s turned the whole club round and it’s not going to be an easy game for us."

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Arsenal winger Theo Walcott wants revenge against Manchester United in the Champions League.

The Gunners were soundly beaten 4-1 on aggregate by Sir Alex Ferguson's side in last season's semi-finals and were dismantled at Emirates Stadium in the second leg.

Walcott has bad memories of the tie and is eager to set the record straight as Arsenal and United prepare for this campaign's quarter-final draw after handsome wins over Porto and AC Milan, respectively.

"We've had disappointments in this competition over the last couple of years, Manchester United in the semis last year," Walcott said in the Sunday Mirror.

"We need to build on results. Hopefully, if it comes to it we'll learn from our mistakes and try to go one step further.

"We were very disappointed in the games we played [against United]. We want to do something for the fans."

He added: "If we get an English team, it will be like a Premier League battle. We want to go that one step further."

Abou Diaby is also in a bullish mood, with the midfielder saying in the Mail on Sunday: "We play for ourselves, the club and the fans; we are footballers and we want to win titles."

Meanwhile, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has described how Aaron Ramsey is already struggling to cope with boredom at the start of his long road to recovery from a broken leg.

"I spoke to Aaron before we played Porto on Tuesday, but when you go from flying on the pitch to lying on a bed, you can only be bored," said Wenger.

"He is confident that he will come back. He is determined, but at the moment it is a problem of patience, and when you are 19 patience is not your first quality."