Manchester United v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Ryan Giggs is doubtful for Manchester United's Barclays Premier League clash with Wolves.
Giggs was forced out of Saturday's surprise home defeat to Aston Villa with a hamstring injury and, given the 36-year-old's past problems, it seems unlikely he will be risked by Sir Alex Ferguson.
Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Owen will hope to be involved for the Red Devils, who have already beaten Wolves in the Carling Cup this season and will not want to waste a second chance to draw level on points with leaders Chelsea.
The strength of Giggs' enduring hunger for footballing success was underlined during the ceremony that saw him acclaimed as the BBC's sports personality of the year.
For while the awards ceremony was building up to its climax, inside his mind Giggs was still brooding over Manchester United's home defeat by Aston Villa little more than 24 hours beforehand.
It is that gnawing pain that provides the Welshman with the conviction he still has plenty to offer the club he has serve for 20 years - and indeed talks will start soon on a new contract for next season.
Giggs said: "I'm hungrier for the game than I've ever been. I was sat there taking everything in during the ceremony and still thinking about the game the night before. It still hurts that we got beaten.
"If defeats are still hurting you then it shows you have still got that desire to carry on, and that's certainly the case at the moment.
"I'm probably playing the best I have ever played at the moment and enjoying it more than ever before.
"As long as I'm enjoying it and getting picked and the desire is still there I'll carry on.''
Giggs said he would not contemplate having a swansong at a different club and does not foresee any problems with the contract negotiations.
"I might have to put this trophy on the table - if I'm struggling!'' he joked.
"It has been the same thing over the last two or three years at this time of year - it has been quite relaxed and no problem and hopefully that will be the case again.
"It's nice to be wanted and they know I don't want to go anywhere else, I want to end my career at United.''
Wolves' versatile right-back Kevin Foley has been put on alert to make his first start for more than two months.
Foley, whose season has been ruined by knee problems, is set to be drafted in on the right hand side of midfield.
Wolves boss Mick McCarthy has a hole to fill there after David Edwards was ruled out for up to 10 weeks with the ankle ligament damage he suffered against Tottenham last weekend.
Former Sunderland midfielder Greg Halford is also in contention to replace Edwards, but Foley looks set to make only his fourth start of the season.
McCarthy, who is also still without long-term injury victims Michael Kightly, Andy Keogh and David Jones, plans to make further changes to his side following the effort his players put in during the 1-0 win at Tottenham.
And McCarthy expects Manchester United to be "rubbing their hands with glee'' at the prospect of facing his side.
With United having suffered a surprise home defeat at the hands of Villa at the weekend, McCarthy is fully braced to be facing a huge backlash from Ferguson's title-chasing side.
Wolves will head to Old Trafford on a massive high having climbed out of the relegation zone with a shock success of their own at Tottenham on Saturday.
But he knows just what kind of test his side will face as they go in search of what would be a piece of club history - a third successive Premier League win.
McCarthy, who has lost Wales midfielder Dave Edwards for up to 10 weeks after he suffered an ankle injury at White Hart Lane, said: "They must be rubbing their hands together to be playing Wolves at home.
"They must be thinking 'Wolves are coming and we have just been beaten by Villa... If ever there is a chance to get yourself back on track it is to slap these insolent little so and sos coming up from the Black Country and we are going to give them the biggest doing they have ever had'.
"I would be thinking that if I was a Manchester United player.
"I would be rubbing my hands with glee that we were coming up.
"Go and have a look at the bookmakers and see what they are saying. They are not stupid. There are no skint ones.
"But you know my view on that, don't you? It doesn't always work out that way.''
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