Sir Alex Ferguson expects Owen Hargreaves to be making his first-team return in three weeks.

The Manchester United midfielder returned to Carrington last month after spending a year in the United States recovering from ground-breaking surgery on both knees to combat a long-standing tendinitis problem.

Manchester United left-back Patrice Evra has questioned the team's attitude after they were eclipsed by Liverpool at Anfield.

Evra was left frustrated at the manner of United's first defeat in 12 games in all competitions. Goals from a fit-again Fernando Torres and substitute David Ngog in the second half ended a run of four losses for Liverpool.

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has questioned Rio Ferdinand's form amid reports that the defender could be dropped by club and country.

The England centre-back has come under scrutiny after a series of blunders over the past month, which have led to suggestions that he could be past his best.

Liverpool earned a 2-0 victory over Primer League rivals Manchester United on Sunday while the United winger Park Ji-sung was sidelined with knee injury.

Fernando Torres ended Liverpool's three successive defeats, scoring the opener in 65th minute with a powerful finish and David Ngog's injury time goal confirmed the victory.

Nemanja Vidic and Zoran Tosic's Serbia are the latest 'United Nation' to qualify automatically for South Africa 2010 - at the expense of Patrice Evra's France.

As Group 7 leaders in Europe, the Serbs confirmed their likely passage to the World Cup finals in emphatic style on Saturday, hammering Romania 5-0. Vidic played for 73 minutes while Tosic was an unused substitute.

Ryan Giggs, Wayne Rooney, Patrice Evra, Ji-sung Park and Darren Fletcher will all miss United's Champions League trip to CSKA Moscow.

The five players - many of them probable starters in Sir Alex Ferguson's strongest line-up - were absent from the squad flying out of Manchester on Monday afternoon.

Despite dropping him for Saturday's game against Bolton, Manchester United chief Sir Alex Ferguson maintains his faith in Ben Foster.

Foster has been United's first choice this season with Edwin van der Sar sidelined after he broke a couple of fingers in pre-season.

The Dutch veteran is now fit to return again and Ferguson has confirmed that he will start against Bolton on Saturday.

Edwin van der Sar is backing Ben Foster to recover from his current problems, but warned his team-mate he also intends to take back his Manchester United place between the posts.

Manchester United are set to keep faith with goalkeeper Ben Foster for Saturday's visit of Sunderland.

Foster missed out on a first-team spot for the midweek game against German side Wolfsburg, with Tomasz Kuszczak deputising in his absence.

But Sir Alex Ferguson will restore the England hopeful between the sticks against the Black Cats at the weekend.

England coach Fabio Capello dropped under-performing Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster from the squad to face Ukraine and Belarus in World Cup qualifying games and recalled veteran keeper David James on Sunday.

Foster has made a string of errors and looked hesitant playing for United this season while James returned after injury for the first time since April.