It feels like a long time since Manchester United opened the season playing with so much freedom and fun, scoring 18 goals in their first four games. They have not managed more than one in each of their last seven league fixtures and Sir Alex Ferguson now has to plan their title defence without their captain, Nemanja Vidic. In the circumstances Wolves might be seen as obliging opponents. They have not won at Old Trafford since 1980 and were beaten 3-0 by a Chelsea side in the grips of their own mini-crisis two weeks ago. Yet Mick McCarthy's players should feel they have a better chance than usual to spring a surprise. Daniel Taylor

Venue Old Trafford

Tickets £34-£47 (0161 868 8000)

Last season Man Utd 2 Wolves 1

Referee M Oliver

This season's matches 6 Y15, R2, 2.83 cards per game

Odds Man Utd 1-5 Wolves 14-1 Draw 5-1

Man Utd

Subs from Lindegaard, Smalling, Diouf, Macheda, Berbatov, Valencia, Gibson, Giggs, Young

Doubtful Berbatov (ankle), Young (toe)

Injured Owen (thigh, Jan), Cleverley (ankle, Jan), F da Silva (hamstring, Jan), R da Silva (unspecified, Jan), Anderson (knee, Feb), Hernández (ankle, Jan), Vidic (knee, Aug) Suspended None

Form guide WDWWWL Disciplinary record Y17 R1 Leading scorer Rooney 9

Wolves

Subs from De Vries, Elokobi, Johnson, Ebanks-Blake, Hammill, Doherty, Hunt, Harris, Gorman, Forde, Cassidy, Spray

Doubtful Craddock (hamstring)

Injured Foley (ankle, Jan)

Suspended None

Form guide WLLWLD

Disciplinary record Y30 R0

Leading scorer Fletcher 5

Match pointers

• Manchester United have only bettered their current total of 33 points after 14 games in two of the previous 19 seasons

• Wolves have won two of their six Premier League games against United, including their most recent meeting; a 2-1 win for Wolves at Molineux in February

• Steven Fletcher has scored more headed goals than any other Premier League player since the start of last season (eight)

• United have lost just one of their last 28 home league games, winning 25 of those and drawing the other two