Having narrowly lost their Premier League title to Chelsea last season, Manchester United begin their quest to regain top spot in the land with a visit from newly-promoted Newcastle United.

The game has echoes of 2008 when these two sides also met on the opening day at Old Trafford. On that occasion the Magpies left with an impressive 1-1 draw and high hopes for the season ahead.

Yet that result proved to be a false dawn with Newcastle enduring a calamitous campaign, that finished with relegation, whilst in stark contrast the Red Devils went on to win the title.

Certainly Sir Alex Ferguson will hope to start the season with a win, something United have managed only once in their last three opening day fixtures; that victory coming last season when a goal by Wayne Rooney was enough to seal a 1-0 win against Birmingham City.

TEAM NEWS

Manchester United

The home side will be without long-term injury victims Owen Hargreaves and Anderson. Rio Ferdinand’s knee problem also keeps him out while the game may come too soon for Patrice Evra who was given extended leave after a traumatic World Cup with France.

Possible starting XI: Van der Sar; O’Shea, Vidic, Evans, Fabio; Carrick, Scholes, Giggs; Valencia, Rooney, Nani.

Newcastle United

Steven Taylor is another long-term injury victim having dislocated his shoulder in pre-season, whilst Dan Gosling is not expected to feature until January. Leon Best and Danny Simpson are also injured.

Possible starting XI: Harper; Taylor,Williamson, Coloccini, Jose Enrique; Gutiérrez, Smith, Nolan, Barton; Lovenkrands, Carroll.

PREDICTION

This could be a tough opener for the home side who have struggled on the opening day in recent seasons and will have some of their World Cup stars still some way from top form.

However, Newcastle’s record at Old Trafford is poor and the extra quality the home side possess should mean they have enough to secure a narrow victory.

New Manchester United striker Bebe spoke of his delight at completing a ‘dream’ move to Old Trafford.

The little-known 20-year-old had played only Third Division football in Portugal and a handful of friendlies for his new club, Vitoria Guimaraes, when United made a shock £7.4million move which activated the release clause in his contract.

Bebe, who was raised in a children’s home, said: ‘I’m very happy. I had the dream of playing, one day, for a major club. That dream has come true.’

The player’s sudden emergence at Guimaraes in pre-season forced United to act quickly and ward off interest from Real Madrid. So, who is the mystery player United have slotted straight into their squad and why has Sir Alex Ferguson invested millions in him? Chris Wheeler reveals all . . .

Bebe? That’s not his real name, is it?

Course not. It’s Tiago Manuel Dias Correia. But he’s been known as Bebe ever since his elder brother called him that. Is it true that he was raised in an orphanage? Not quite. It was a children’s home for kids whose parents can’t provide for them called Casa do Gaiato de Santo Antao do Tojal in Loures on the outskirts of Lisbon. He was born in nearby Cacem and his parents are from Cape Verde, just like his new team-mate Nani.

So how did he become a footballer?

He learned to play on the streets but was spotted playing for the Loures junior team by Estrela da Amadora, now in Portugal’s Third Division, and came through the ranks there.

Didn’t he appear in the Homeless World Cup as well?

Not exactly. He played for the CAIS homeless organisation in the European Street Football Festival in Bosnia last year when, amazingly, he scored 40 goals in six games – more than any team put together. But Portugal’s Homeless World Cup squad had already been selected by then and it was too late to change.

So, United got him from Estrela da Amadora?

No. When Bebe’s club failed to pay him five weeks ago, he joined Vitoria Guimaraes on a free transfer. They snapped him up and stuck him on a five-year contract with a 9million euro release clause. United agreed to pay but it’s still a bit of a gamble for a player who has appeared only in the third division and a handful of friendlies for Guimaraes. They’ll be happy with a £7m-plus profit though.

So what made United boss Ferguson move for him?

Fergie’s former assistant and current Portugal manager, Carlos Queiroz, recommended the player. Real Madrid were hovering, too, so he can’t be too shabby. Apparently Ferguson didn’t even meet the player for the first time until earlier this week when he flew over to give evidence for Queiroz in a disciplinary hearing.

What are his strengths?

He is said to be fast with raw ability and a sweet right foot. At 6ft 2in, he’s good in the air as well. Rather like Cristiano Ronaldo, he can play on either flank, through the middle or as a second striker. His former coach at Estrela da Amadora, Jorge Paixao, said: ‘He’s a player who is the fruit of street football. He learned to play in the street and has that natural creativity, an irreverence, and that makes all the difference.’

United have eight senior strikers now. Will he play this season?

Well, because he’s under 21 he will not cost United a slot in their 25-man Premier League squad. And, with Danny Welbeck and Mame Biram Diouf out on loan, he might get a shot. What’s Portuguese for Carling Cup?

Sir Alex Ferguson is convinced that Rio Ferdinand will not be sent for a long period on the sidelines after the identification of the origin of his injury problems at the moment.

Ferdinand has missed the last two weeks of the project with Manchester United after picking up what is considered a calf injury.

Yet it is now confirmed the injury in connection with an earlier problem with his lower back.

The England defender is not fit for tomorrow’s Barclays Premiership encounter with Everton at Old Trafford, but the 31-year-old is back in action soon.

“The weather is connected,” said Ferguson. “We can not put a timetable but this is not a situation where we say it will months, the d a few weeks, or a few weeks, but it is.”

Besides Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic Ferguson is relieved available after missing the defeat to Chelsea just before the international break with a calf problem.

However, Gary Neville is suspended and John O’Shea are almost certainly going to miss a thigh injury picked up in the controversial exit of the Republic of Ireland’s World Cup in France on Wednesday.

Northern Ireland international Jonny Evans is a doubt, allowing Ferguson to a number of “keys” to the defense.

Manchester United set to offer veteran goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar a new one-year contract extension today.

38 years is cloudy to accept the offer, according to The Manchester Evening News.

This mold the future of young Polish stopper Tomasz Kuszczak in some doubt, with England international Ben Foster appear at the top of the hierarchy.

Foster himself has recently expressed his frustration over the failure to hold a regular place between the sticks at Old Trafford and Sir Alex Ferguson has turned his attention to get another goalkeeper in January.

Rumors have been consistently associated with the Red Devils moved to CSKA Moscow Igor Akinfeev Russia at the international level, although no officials have not materialized.