MANCHESTER United could be ripe for the picking at the Reebok on Saturday.

Wanderers will be the derby underdogs but they believe Sir Alex Ferguson's Reds - so often the victims of their own success - could be at their most vulnerable, feeling the strain of five high pressure games in 16 days.

Sam Allardyce, a great admirer of the men from Old Trafford, is aiming to take full advantage of United's heavy schedule which sees the Wanderers' fixture sandwiched between Champions League showdowns with Italian giants Juventus.

Wanderers' exploited a similar situation last season to pull off a memorable Old Trafford triumph. Now, rested and raring to go after their sunshine break in Dubai, they are aiming for a repeat show.

"United's programme is something we have to consider," Allardyce confirmed as he stepped up his derby preparations. "The magnitude of the two Juventus games with us squeezed in the middle is something we hope we can gain an advantage from, as we have in the past.'

The Reebok derby will be United's 47th game of the season and Wanderers' 30th and, despite being knocked out of the FA Cup by Arsenal on Saturday, Ferguson's multi-talented squad of 25 internationals is still chasing a domestic and European treble.

Allardyce acknowledges that as a measure of their incredible success but believes it can put a serious strain on their resources.

Delighted to have had the benefit of a fortnight's break, including six-days of warm-weather training in The Gulf, to "recharge the batteries" of the oldest squad in the Premiership he hopes the fatigue factor will come into play.

"With a bit of luck it should stand us in good stead," he added, "but we'll only know that on Saturday. Hopefully we can have a little more energy and drive because we were feeling the pace of the Premiership, feeling a bit fatigued."