PER Frandsen is ready to test his midfield mettle against the best in the world at Old Trafford.

The Wanderers' great Dane, sidelined for four of the last five games with an ankle injury, is expected to make his return in a derby duel that could see him pitting his wits against a midfield currently regarded as the best in Europe and boasting in Juan Sebastian Veron, a player with a global reputation.

The Argentine, signed from Lazio for a record £28 million, is not guaranteed to start with Sir Alex Ferguson widely tipped to shuffle his pack of aces. But, whoever he comes up against, Frandsen is relishing the challenge.

"Veron is a great player ... world class!" says the Denmark international. "He's maybe not the best tackler but he's one of the best attacking players. Hopefully he will play because I am looking forward to playing against him.

"You always want to play against the best."

Sam Allardyce confirmed Frandsen's recovery from the ankle injury he first sustained early in the second half of the home defeat by Southampton and aggravated on his comeback against Sunderland three weeks ago when he missed a crucial penalty - an injury that cost him his place in the Denmark squad for the final qualifying game when they secured their place in next summer's World Cup Finals.

His return in midfield would give Wanderers much needed experience and expertise in midfield for a game even the manager admits is a daunting prospect.

Having hinted at changes after last weekend's 4-0 home defeat by Newcastle - their third successive loss at home in the Premiership - Allardyce has sparked speculation that either Michael Ricketts or Rod Wallace or both could be promoted from the subs' bench. But with only Henrik Pedersen (groin) definitely ruled out and Gareth Farrelly unlikely to figure in the starting line-up having had just one reserve team outing after recovering from a thigh problem, he has his entire squad to select from and is likely to follow Fergie in keeping everyone guessing until the last possible moment.

"The players selected will enjoy the occasion and play their best on the day," was his only vague reference to team selection as he celebrated his 47th birthday and the second anniversary of his appointment. "Nobody expects us to win so we'll go there relaxed with no real pressure, as we did when we went to Leeds and Arsenal.

"It's a shame we've thrown away most of our points at home but having an undefeated home record is fantastic considering the sides we've played and we must try to keep hold of that. The players couldn't give me a better birthday present than getting a positive result at Old Trafford."

Wanderers go into the game as rank outsiders but supporters of successive generations have enjoyed famous triumphs over their illustrious neighbours - the 1958 FA Cup Final and the famous "double" in the 1978-79 season (3-0 at Burnden, 2-1 at Old Trafford) when Frank Worthington scored two in each game to cement his place in Bolton folklore.

Frandsen was member of the Bolton team that denied United four precious points in the 97-98 season, when the Reds were eventually pipped by Arsenal for the Premiership title, and is hoping to help his team-mates produce another Old Trafford upset.

"We drew 1-1 last time we played there," he recalls, "Bob Taylor scored and we were just five minutes away from a win when Andy Cole got the equaliser. Hopefully we can go one better this time but we know it will be difficult.

"They are playing better now than they were at the beginning of the season so we know it's going to be very tough. But we have been playing well, especially away from home. Let's hope that continues."