IVAN Campo is either supremely confident or deliberately obtuse but, while Sam Allardyce singles out Ruud van Nistelrooy as Manchester United's "main man", the Real Madrid defender is calmly dismissive of the free-scoring Dutchman.

"It's not through any lack of respect but I don't lose sleep over any future opponents," the Spaniard explains. "I've always been like that.

"I prefer to wait until the day of the game when we sit down and have a talk about who we are marking.

"I'm not having nightmares!"

In the context of the big games they have been involved in at club and international level, a Wanderers-United derby is small beer to the likes of Campo, Youri Djorjkaeff and Jay-Jay Okocha.

But the mop-haired man from the Bernabeu insists: "We are all well aware of the importance of the game - not just to the fans but to the players."

Campo has taken to life at the Reebok since he arrived on a season-long loan last August. He speaks highly of the stadium and of Allardyce who worked long and hard to persuade him to switch from La Liga to the Premiership. He is non-committal about his future but makes it clear that he will not be around if Wanderers are relegated.

"I've had a chat with Sam and told him that all I am looking at is this season," he explains. "If, God willing, Bolton are still in the Premiership, then we'll sit down and have another chat."

Unlike Campo, Allardyce is quick to acknowledge the threat Van Nistelrooy poses. "He's as good as there is," says the Wanderers' chief. "He delivers what they bought him for first and foremost - goals! But his out-of-the-box play is phenomenal. He doesn't have the acceleration of Thierry Henry or Michael Owen but his movement, his touch and the way he finds space and brings other players into the game is brilliant.

"United might find it difficult if he wasn't there because they have nobody to replace him."