Hargreaves's return on horizon after making progress

Hargreaves has managed just one minute of senior action in the past two years since undergoing surgery on both knees to try to cure a tendinitis problem.

Serious doubts over the England midfielder's career were raised this summer when Ferguson sent him back to Dr Richard Steadman in Colorado after he experienced more discomfort during pre-season training.

Ferguson revealed earlier this month that Hargreaves would be returning to England in the near future and that Steadman's recent observations underscored how well the 29-year-old has been progressing.

Even so, no one expected the United manager to be openly talking about Hargreaves actually playing quite so soon.

Yet, after seeing the midfielder in action on the training ground at Carrington this week, Ferguson is feeling quite bullish about a successful comeback.

"Owen has looked very good," he said. "After being out for so long, we'll obviously have to monitor him and see how he's going to progress in the next few weeks. But it's good to see him back. Because he's been out for so long you have to see whether there's going to be a relapse.

"That's the first thing on our mind at the moment but having watched him in training (on Thursday) if he continues that way he's going to give me another selection problem, no question about that."

Another England star on the way back is Michael Carrick, who had an injection in his Achilles earlier this month to try to ease some growing discomfort.

Like Hargreaves, Carrick will not come into contention for tomorrow's trip to Bolton but Ferguson is delighted with the 29-year-old's progress.

As the Red Devils are now in a run of two games a week, Ferguson needs as many options as possible.

Some games are more important than others though, which is why he bypassed the Carling Cup trip to Scunthorpe on Wednesday in preference for a scouting mission in Valencia, United's Champions League opponents next Wednesday.

It was only the third game Ferguson has missed in his 24-year stint as manager, which emphasises the importance he is placing on the trip to Spain. That could also play a part in his team selection at the Reebok Stadium, although at least he will have one in-form striker in Dimitar Berbatov, who took his tally for the season to seven last weekend with his brilliant hat-trick against Liverpool, in the ranks.

Bolton manager Owen Coyle believes the game with Manchester United will enable Wanderers to gauge how far they have progressed during his time in charge.

Although they head into the derby on the back of their disappointing Carling Cup reverse at Burnley, Bolton have lost just once in the league so far this term, at Arsenal, with both their previous matches at the Reebok Stadium, against Fulham and Birmingham, ending level.

"This is a gauge to see if we have improved," he said.

"We are in for a tough afternoon because I believe Manchester United will go close to winning the Premier League again.

"But I want to make sure we perform in a way where we have no regrets."

Goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen has served a three-match ban for his dismissal against Birmingham.