Carling Cup semi-final, first leg
Venue: Old Trafford Date: Wednesday, 27 January 2010 Kick-off: 2000 GMT
Coverage: BBC Sport website, BBC Radio 5 live, BBC local radio, live on Sky Sports 1 & highlights on Match of the Day
TEAM NEWS
**Manchester United have no fresh injury concerns as they seek to overturn a 2-1 deficit in the Carling Cup semi-final second leg at Old Trafford.**Defender Nemanja Vidic is sidelined for the derby match with a calf problem.
Manchester City have Robinho available despite negotiations with two Brazilian clubs over him joining on loan.
Kolo Toure is back from the Africa Cup of Nations, while Emmanuel Adebayor could be on the bench after returning from compassionate leave.
Man Utd
**Suspended: **None Doubtful: Foster (back)
Injured: Hargreaves (knee), O’Shea (thigh), Vidic (calf)
Man City
**Suspended: **None **Doubtful: **None
Injured: Bridge, Johnson & Lescott (all knee), Santa Cruz & Vieira (both calf)
MATCH PREVIEW
Manchester City’s ambition is to be “the biggest and best football club in the world”, according to executive chairman Garry Cook; a Carling Cup final appearance at the expense of their fiercest rivals would do the club’s fans for now.
“It is the perfect situation and I believe we can score again, that is the big focus for us”
Man City’s Vincent Kompany
There have been many false dawns for City’s long-suffering supporters, but last week’s semi-final first-leg win over their Manchester neighbours brought the possibility of a first major Wembley final in 29 years a step closer to reality.
The omens for City look good: they beat United en route to their two previous League Cup triumphs (1970 and 1976), while this year’s final on 28 February comes exactly 34 years to the day since City won their last trophy - coincidentally in the League Cup.
City boss Roberto Mancini has promised to banish a banner at Old Trafford mocking the Eastlands club’s trophy drought, and the rivalry has been further intensified by Carlos Tevez’s starring role in the first leg and his subsequent criticism of ex-United team-mate Gary Neville. The Football Association and Greater Manchester Police have urged both sets of supporters to show restraint in what is sure to be a highly-charged atmosphere.
Despite United’s first-leg defeat, Sir Alex Ferguson need look no further than last season’s Carling Cup semi-finals for inspiration - the Red Devils lost the opening leg 1-0 at Derby before booking their ticket to Wembley with a 4-2 win at Old Trafford.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
• City beat United en route to winning the 1976 and 1970 League Cup finals.
• United’s only League Cup victory over City came in the third round of the 1974/75 competition.
606: DEBATE
Have your say on the game
Man Utd
• Manchester United are the current League Cup holders. They also won the competition in 1992 and 2006. They have been runners-up four times (1983, 1991, 1994, 2003).
• United have contested seven League Cup semi-finals under Sir Alex Ferguson, reaching the final on six occasions.
• They have only won five of their last 10 games.
Man City
• Man City have won two League Cups (1970 and 1976) and were runners-up in 1974.
• This is City’s first major semi-final since they defeated Ipswich Town to reach the 1981 FA Cup final.
• City have won seven of their last eight games in all competitions, and lost only two of their last 21.
LAST MEETING
Man City 2-1 Man Utd (19 January 2010)](http://www.paklinks.com/sport2/low/football/league_cup/8465407.stm)
Man City: Tevez 42 pen, 65
Man Utd: Giggs 17.