ROY KEANE is on the verge of a comeback to the Manchester United side after being sidelined for over three weeks with a shin injury.
The Republic of Ireland international, who was injured during the Champions' League win in Vienna on December 4th, may be one of United's substitutes for today's home game against Leeds.
"Roy is training and is getting closer to full fitness. I'm even thinking about selecting him as a substitute tomorrow, but we'll see what happens," said United manager Alex Ferguson yesterday.
Andy Cole is another who seems destined to start the game from the bench, although Ferguson could risk giving the £7 million striker his first Premiership start of the season.
Cole made a stunning return to first-team action on St Stephen's Day, scoring a superb goal in the 4-0 romp at Nottingham Forest after coming on as a substitute.
England defender Gary Pallister is still out with back trouble and is causing Ferguson a few worries.
Ogrizovic will break Coventry's appearance record when they meet Middlesbrough in the Riverside relegation dogfight today. The 39-year-old will be playing his 544th game, eclipsing the mark set by centre-half George Curtis 26 years ago. He drew level with Curtis, his old boss, in the 3-1 win at Leeds as Coventry completed a hat-trick of wins.
Current manager Gordon Strachan said: "He trains more than anyone else in the club - and when I told the players he'd equalled George Curtis' record they stood and applauded".
Ogrizovic did not play for Coventry until a month before his 27th birthday, after a £72,000 move from Shrewsbury in 1984, having spent his early career as understudy to Liverpool's Ray Clemence.
A member of the 1987 FA Cup winning side, Ogrizovic said: "To beat George Curtis's record means a tremendous amount to me. George is a folk hero in these parts for what he has done for Coventry".
A week after Peter Shilton notched up 1,000 league appearances at the age of 46, Ogrizovic has every encouragement to play on.
He said: "I spoke to Shilts last week and what he has achieved is an absolutely tremendous feat which I feel will never be repeated. I would have to play for another nine to 10 years, until I am nearly 50, to get anywhere near it."
Coventry have now bounced out of the bottom three following wins over Newcastle, Leicester and Leeds.
St Stephen's Day was also a good day for Strachan's old friend Bryan Rob son, who tasted victory for the first time in three months as Middlesbrough emerged from its sick room with a 4-2 win over Everton.
Robson said: "It's just pleasing to remember what a victory is like.
"I've still got a lot of injuries within the club. But fortunately, in the last few days, the virus has got a little bit better and we've only got two players down with it."
Leicester's point at Liverpool gave Martin O'Neill's men a huge boost, but they entertain bottom club Nottingham Forest knowing they cannot afford anything less than their third home victory of the season.
O'Neill, who won European Cup and League Championship medals with Forest, will show his old club no mercy. "I enjoyed great times at Forest and in normal circumstances I would like to see them pull away from trouble. But it's a dog-eat-dog world in the wrong half of the Premiership and it's them against us."
Swedish defender Pontus Kaamark picked up a hamstring injury at Anfield, so Mike Whitlow and Neil Lewis will be drafted into defence.
Manchester United's thumping win has reminded caretaker player-manager Stuart Pearce how big a task he faces and he will be looking to give on-loan midfielder Nigel Clough greater support.
At Blackburn meanwhile, Kevin Gallacher believes that he and Chris Sutton are at last finding the solution to the 15-million-pound question: Is there life after Alan Shearer?
Gallacher gunned down the former Blackburn player's new club Newcastle and has now turned his sights on Derby and a first away win of the season at the Baseball Ground.
He said: "Something is now starting to really click between Chris Sutton and myself and I think it's a partnership that will keep getting better."
Meanwhile, caretaker manager Tony Parkes will give a late check to Scottish international defender Colin Hendry who suffered a dead leg.
