IT looked a formidable line-up in anyone's book - Fabien Barthez; Phil Neville, David May, Ronnie Johnsen, Mikael Silvestre; Luke Chadwick, Nicky Butt, Roy Keane, Quinton Fortune; Andy Cole and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Okay, Real Madrid might not be quaking in their boots knowing they would not have the likes of Beckham, Veron, Scoles and Van Nistelrooy to worry about.

But Alex Ferguson's so-called second 11 (Barthez and Keane excepted of course) was good enough to hammer the living daylights out of Ipswich last month so Wanderers fans should not get too excited when the teams are announced at Old Trafford on Saturday.

The fact that Fergie has higher priorities - the derby drops between massive Champions League fixtures at home to Deportivo La Coruna and Olympiakos - suggests that he will once again take the chance to rest a good number of his "first team" for a Premiership game.

Ipswich boss George Burley admitted to getting a little excited when he saw the team sheet at Old Trafford. United had made NINE changes to the side that had beaten Lille in the Champions League four days earlier but the Reds were 2-0 up inside 20 minutes (Johnsen and Solskjaer) and eventually romped to a 4-0 win with late goals from Cole and Solskjaer.

The Tractor Boys did not, of course, have the added incentive of local pride, which inspired Wanderers to deprive United of four points last time they locked horns in the Premiership.

They were memorable encounters - "Fergie fury" featuring prominently at the Reebok where Garry Pallister and Nathan Blake were sent off for a spat (Pallister was later exonerated) in a scoreless draw then "Super" Bob Taylor claiming a place in Bolton folklore when his goal at Old Trafford went desperataly close to claiming a memorable victory before Cole salvaged a point five minutes from time.

There will only be 3,000 Wanderers fans in the 67,000 sell-out crowd at Old Trafford for what rival Reds' fans may mischievously describe as a "Reserve Team" fixture. But, whatever is said or not said about the strength of the opposition - Keane will be suspended incidentally - they will make themselves heard.

Derby delight might be low on Fergies' priority list but it is serious stuff for the Bolton faithful. Reserve - Manchester United's Andy Cole