Rio ready for Gunners

Manchester United have confirmed Rio Ferdinand will be available for Saturday's crunch Premier League showdown with Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.

Ferdinand was substituted during last weekend's 4-1 win over Middlesbrough, apparently uninjured, and reports subsequently surfaced suggesting the 28-year-old had been sent for a scan after a recurrence of the groin problem he sustained at the end of last season and ruled him out of key England games against Brazil and Estonia.

However, a statement from the club read: "Manchester United have confirmed that Rio Ferdinand is fit to face Arsenal on Saturday at the Emirates Stadium. Reports claimed the Reds defender has experienced a recurrence of an old groin injury and would miss the key Premier League clash. However, the influential 28-year-old centre-back trained with the rest of the squad at Carrington on Tuesday, and is considered fully fit and ready to play against the Gunners."

It is good news for Sir Alex Ferguson, who on Monday was informed that midfielder Paul Scholes would be ruled out for three months after being forced to undergo knee surgery.

However, with Owen Hargreaves returning to duty on Saturday and both Michael Carrick and Gary Neville set to make their comebacks after recent lay-offs, it does appear United's early season injury problems are easing.