Chelsea first test of Ferguson's United faith

Alex Ferguson's warning that Manchester United are close to a goal glut will come under intense scrutiny as they try to shape their season over the next few days.

United face Chelsea in the English premier league at Stamford Bridge on Friday and then host Hungarian outfit Zalaegerszeg on Tuesday needing to overturn a one goal, first leg deficit just to reach the Champions League proper.

For United's potency to be questioned at any stage of the campaign is almost unthinkable, given that -- despite last season's defensive problems -- they were the premier league's top scorers last term.

But a narrow 1-0 win over West Bromwich Albion in their opening league game last Saturday has done little to assuage fans' worries that all is not well at Old Trafford.

Their outing against Chelsea should see Rio Ferdinand, at 30 million pounds ($45.74 million) the world's most expensive defender, make his competitive debut for United after he recovered from a sprained ankle picked up in pre-season.

The England international's presence should help reinforce a central defence looking to blunt a Chelsea team eager to avenge their 3-0 home drubbing by Ferguson's players last April.

But Ferguson himself is still concerned with selecting the right personnel in midfield and attack that will help kick start United's fearsome forward play.

"I think it is better at this stage to be winning 1-0 than 3-2 because if we lose goals then the critics will be saying it is our defence again," he said this week.

"But the goals will come. There'll be no problem about that. We are creating chances and that is the main thing. Goals will always follow if you create the opportunities."

BECKHAM INCONSISTENT

David Beckham, according to media reports abused by some United fans after United's 1-0 defeat to Zalagerszeg in the Champions League third qualifying round, first leg tie last week, has been inconsistent of late but should keep his place on Friday.

But goalkeeper Fabien Barthez, and defenders Gary Neville and Wes Brown are all out through injury, so Roy Carroll will continue in goal. Ferdinand could replace John O'Shea in defence.

Chelsea's 3-2 victory over Charlton Athletic on the opening day of the season was anything but convincing, even if they did call on their much maligned team spirit to engineer a comeback from two goals down.

Goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini risked incurring United's wrath at perhaps the wrong time this week, when he tried to explain why the Old Trafford club had finished third behind champions Arsenal last season.

He told Chelsea TV: "United had one month, or six or seven games, last season where they were a disgrace and lost a lot of points. That's probably why they finished third."

Cudicini was referring to a spell before Christmas 2001, when United lost five out of seven league games to see their title chances slip away.

Carlton Cole, Chelsea's 18-year-old striker who scored after coming on as a substitute at Charlton, will have to be content with a place on the bench again on Friday.

The same is likely to apply to Eidur Gudjohnsen. The Iceland striker, linked with a move to United over the close-season, has just recovered from injury and boss Claudio Ranieri should stick with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Gianfranco Zola in attack.