SAM Allardyce admitted today that he needs "something of a miracle" if he is to mark his 200th Premiership match by knocking Manchester United off the top of the table.

Wanderers, third in the table and riding the crest of a four-match winning wave, have never been better placed going into a Reebok duel with Sir Alex Ferguson's Reds.

In fact, their six wins in nine games is their best start to a top-flight season since 1896 and United's star-studded attack is going to have to break down one of the most resilient defences in the country if they are to take maximum points.

But Allardyce, who has made a habit of upsetting the "big boys", has issued a reality check.

"You look at our squad and look at their squad, their power and our power, in every department of the football clubs, and it is so very difficult to compete at their level - even though we are in the same division," he said.

"You can do it now and again, which is what we've done during our time in the Premiership, when we've had some fantastic results, home and away, against the big boys - Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal.

"Once in a while you can do it and I hope it's one of those times tomorrow, but we've just beaten Liverpool here and to go and beat Manchester United as well in such a short space of time would be something of a miracle for us."

Wanderers hopes of a victory that could - depending on Chelsea's result in the lunchtime kick off at Sheffield United - put them top of the table, will be boosted if Abdoulaye Faye gets the all-clear from a neurological specialist after suffering concussion in a collision with Jussi Jaaskelainen in Sunday's 1-0 win at Blackburn.

Already forced into a change in midfield, where Stelios is expected to take over from suspended captain, Kevin Nolan, Allardyce is anxious to keep in tact the defence that has made such a valuable contribution to the 20-point haul from the first nine games.

Jaaskelainen, who was rested for Wednesday night's disappointing Carling Cup defeat at Charlton, will return. Nicolas Anelka and El-Hadji Diouf, who missed the tie with knee and ankle injuries respectively, are expected to be back in a front line that has the potential to give United their toughest test yet at the Reebok, where they have never lost.

Quinton Fortune, however, will not figure against his former club. Substitute for Faye at Blackburn, the South African international suffered a calf injury in training on Tuesday.

Allardyce is disappointed but philosophical about the loss of Nolan, who talked his way into a three-match ban with his booking for dissent and red card for foul and abusive language at the height of Sunday's Ewood Park drama, but he is desperate to have Faye back in tandem with Abdoulaye Meite.

"Kevin is such a big player for us and a big loss, but we can't do anything about that," he said. "We've just got to try to get the others fit to give ourselves the best opportunity to get a result against Manchester United.

"Having Abdoulaye Faye available would be a big bonus for us. The back five is not necessarily the best we've got but they have done exceptionally well for us in keeping so many clean sheets."

Although delighted with the start to the season, Allardyce sees warning signs in the spate of injuries that have hampered his team selection and believes a realistic target is to finish between eighth and fifth.

Yet, for all his reality checks, he knows his players will not need motivating against United.

"It's such a big game for us that the players will drive themselves to their very limits to try and upset one of the big boys again," he added.

"The Reebok is now a stadium people don't like coming to any more and we are proud of the record we've got here. If we can keep up that record of not conceding goals here I'll be very happy. If we got a nil-nil I'd be very, very happy and I'd be ecstatic if we managed to beat one of then best teams in the world here on our own patch for the first time in the Premiership.

"We have a big, big challenge on our hands but all I do for games like these is to tell the players to go out and enjoy themselves, because they are not expected to win.

"It's an attitude that I've always had in the Premiership and in the past it's stood us in good stead."