Manchester United veteran Paul Scholes remains determined to impress his manager and is not looking for the chance to put his feet up.

Scholes, who turns 35 in November, has been enjoying a renaissance in form in recent weeks and ran the midfield in Saturday's 2-0 win at Stoke City.

He has been used on a more rotational basis by Sir Alex Ferguson over the past couple of seasons and has also occupied a deeper role in the team.

However, the former England international still has the bit between his teeth despite the club's occasional desire to wrap him in cotton wool.

"You still want to impress, but the coaches are always asking how you feel and whether you want to take a day off here or there," said Scholes.

One area that Scholes is looking to improve is his goal tally, having scored only six times over the past two years.

He added: "My goals have dried up a bit in recent years and I'd like to get back scoring a few.

"When I was younger, I used to get forward a lot more than I do now.

"I think the manager expects me to stay in the middle of the park nowadays and pass to the players who can go forward and score.

"I'd still like to get forward every now and then and chip in, but you just have to play however the manager wants you to play."

Scholes also revealed that he is going to explore the possibility of going into coaching when he eventually calls time on his glittering career.

"I'm going to give coaching a go and see how it goes," said Scholes. "I'll probably start looking at that in the next couple of weeks and see how I feel doing that."

Michael Owen and Ji-sung Park were the only major absentees from United's pre-match training session ahead of the Champions League Group B clash with Wolfsburg.

The pair missed the session at Carrington on Tuesday morning as the Reds prepared for the visit of the German champions to Old Trafford.

Meanwhile, Edwin van der Sar, who has not featured all season since breaking a bone in his hand, was training with Ben Foster and Tomasz Kuszczak away from the main group, although he is still not expected to be back in action for at least another fortnight.

On a gloomy morning at the Reds' training ground, the players and coaches were all in good spirits as they took part in a one-touch warm-up exercise.

We'll have the latest pre-match news from Sir Alex Ferguson's press conference on Tuesday afternoon.

Training squad: Van der Sar, Foster, Kuszczak, Brown, Ferdinand, Fabio, Vidic, Evra, J.Evans, O'Shea, Neville, Fletcher, Valencia, Gibson, Anderson, Scholes, Giggs, Carrick, Nani, Rooney, Berbatov, Macheda, Welbeck.

The Reds go into the unknown against German champions Wolfsburg on Wednesday night, but Nemanja Vidic is confident the players will be fully prepared for the test.

As Champions League newcomers, Wolfsburg are not only preparing for their first ever game against United, it will also be their first test on the road in the competition.

The Germans go into the Old Trafford clash as group leaders - albeit on goal difference - having kicked-off their campaign in style with a 4-1 victory over CSKA Moscow.

With United having secured a battling 1-0 win against Besiktas in Turkey, Vidic is expecting a close contest on Wednesday.

"They’re the German champions and they have quality players, particularly up front," he told ManUtd.com. "It'll be a hard game and I think we’ll be the two teams fighting for top spot in the group.

"When you don’t know teams or players that well you don’t always know what to expect in games. But that’s why we have people at the club, who show us the videos before the game so we can work out exactly how they play.

"It’s a very important part of our preparation – we need to know what to expect from the players we’ll be up against because it’s the small details that can make the difference."

The Reds' defence are likely to be up against a familiar face, with former Newcastle striker Obefami Martins set to feature at some stage during the 90 minutes.

He, like his new team-mates, will be keen to put on a good display for Wolfsburg's first visit to Old Trafford, but Vidic says the Reds are up for the challenge.

"Everyone wants to play well against Manchester United and try to beat us. It’s the biggest stage to play on and other teams want to show what they can," he says.

"It’s nothing new for us – we experience it week in, week out so we’re used to it. We just have to concentrate on ourselves, work hard in training and keep improving."

Improvement in the shape of going one step further than in last season's competition, when a poor display in the final saw the Reds finish second best to Barcelona, is uppermost in the players' minds, according to the Serbian international.

"It’s a very bad feeling to get to a final and lose. I have bad memories [of Rome] and none of us want to experience that again," he declared.

"We know we need to be stronger and make sure it doesn’t happen again. You need to train hard and make sure you are ready for the big games when they come round."

The standard of fitness of United's players is far higher today than it ever has been, and that's why Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes are still playing at the top level. The way they look after themselves, with all the staff dedicated to fitness and healthy lifestyles is incredible. Players look after themselves certainly a lot better than they did in my day.

I think sometimes age becomes a mental thing for a lot of people. There's this idea that once you’re over 30 you’re on the road out. I think that’s a load of rubbish. Once you’re over the 30-mark you’re more intelligent, and often you're as strong as a horse because you’re doing everything you can to stay in good condition. But it’s the intelligence more than anything. I think Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville have got big roles to play at United for a while to come.

If you looked at Ryan Giggs against Manchester City – that was the same Ryan Giggs I saw play his first game for United against City! That’s exactly what he was like. And he was influential again at Stoke on Saturday. Paul Scholes was brilliant, too. You never lose your ability, and if you can stay fit you’re quids in. You’re made. It’s only a matter of looking after yourself, and you can’t get away with anything at Old Trafford now! You’ve got dieticians, fitness coaches, all sorts of things.

It's interesting to some players blossoming since Cristiano Ronaldo left. Wayne Rooney wasn’t centre-stage when Ronaldo was here and maybe didn’t the praise as he deserved. There are others that can step up and become key players. Can Nani become the player there is the possibility of him being? Will he get his final ball right? If he does he will be a fantastic player. And he has a great player to learn from in Giggs.

When 17-year-old Norwegian Joshua King debuted against Wolves last week, it highlighted a wealth of attacking talent at OT. With the help of our video, we recap four young forwards with promising futures...

Danny Welbeck Born Manchester Age 18
Style Languid movement with the ball has drawn comparisons with Nwankwo Kanu. Bags of skill, a creative touch, and a deceptively clinical finisher. Laid back demeanour means he takes everything in his stride.
Sir Alex says "It was a fantastic goal against Wolves. He took it really well and it tells you everything about the boy's quality."

Federico Macheda Age 18 Born Rome, Italy
Style Very strong and probably the most natural finisher of the United young guns. Has an unerring ability to know where the goal is and where to put the ball. Has the temperament not to let any occasion get to him - see Villa last season.
Sir Alex says "Macheda's top drawer, a hero in the making, just as Cristiano was."

Joshua King Age 18 Born Oslo, Norway
Style Strong and powerful with pace to burn. Paddy Crerand reckons he's the best of the lot, while Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who was influential in bringing him to Manchester, says he's a bit like fellow Norwegian John Carew.
Sir Alex says "He’s very quick has a terrific attitude and he’s only 17. He has a really good future in the game."

John Cofie Age 16 Born Aboso Ghana
Style All power, pace and athleticism. John, who joined from Burnley, has impressed in the U18s this season. He can play for Ghana, Germany or England, but chose the latter and has already played at youth level. Rapid rise through OT ranks could follow.
Sir Alex says "Young John Cofie has done very well in our youth team this season. He's one of a number of young forwards breaking through."

Stuart Mathieson

September 29, 2009

FIVE years ago Wayne Rooney was the talk of Europe following his explosive debut hat-trick for United against Fenerbahce.

He was a month short of his 19th birthday and his Champions League and Reds bow had Old Trafford salivating.

Rooney had recovered from his broken foot picked up playing for England in Euro 2004 and tore the Turks apart.

The £30m outlay for a teenager was a snip. Even Old Trafford legend Denis Law claimed that Sir Alex Ferguson's new boy would eventually go on to break his goalscoring records with the Reds.

The Ruud van Nistelrooy-Rooney combo was the golden ticket that had the power and quality to scare Europe to death.

Rooney tally

It didn't quite work out that way with Rooney going on a long barren spell in the tournament that didn't see him score again until April 2007 when United beat Roma in Italy by which time his original Dutch partner had been bombed out of Old Trafford.

Rooney's tally now reads 16 goals in 45 starts.

He has, of course, developed into a more adaptable forward in the Champions League with Fergie employing him on numerous occasions as a disciplined left-sided midfielder.

When it was a success, as against Arsenal at the Emirates last May in the semi-final, it was hailed as a Sir Alex masterstroke.

When the tactic failed and Rooney was on the fringe of the action, as in the final in Rome just 22 days after that London hit, it was condemned as a waste of his qualities.

Rooney has also been used in Europe as a lone striker. It was in that berth that he kicked off this season's European campaign against Besiktas in Turkey.

But his Istanbul evening was a frustrating one that ended with him being substituted and the England striker threw his boots off in anger as he plonked his backside on the bench.

To rub salt in the wounds, Fergie put two strikers - Michael Owen and Dimitar Berbatov - up front at that point and the game changed in their favour.

A straw poll of United fans would almost certainly reveal that the supporters want to see Rooney in a traditional two-man forward line.

Fergie will be contemplating whether he should restore that against German Champions Wolfsburg with Berbatov the leading candidate to partner him. It would definitely get all-round approval, none more so than from Rooney himself.

The Reds boss will also have to decide whether to use his two ageless match winners Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs just days after they were United's stand-out performers at Stoke.

Giggs didn't play in Turkey but his 90 minutes (and a little bit more!) in the derby was followed by 35 minutes at the Britannia Stadium while Scholes played 80 minutes.

He has only started once with his two veterans this campaign at Spurs and may be inclined to rest one of them this evening though, in the form they are in, it might be a case of make hay while the sun shines.

Anderson and Michael Carrick are refreshed and will be in Fergie's mind.

Wolfsburg threat

The main defensive objective of the Reds engine room will be to keep Zvjezdan Misimovic quiet. He is the heartbeat of Wolfsburg's side and set a new record for assists in the Bundesliga last term.

The Reds are set to have their Rome final back four set up against Wolfsburg and they'll need to be on form against the German title holders.

Last season the surprise Bundesliga winners boasted an attacking force of Grafite and Edin Dzeko that scored more than 20 goals apiece in the league (28 and 26 respectively).

It was the first time a strike force had managed that stat in Bundesliga history.

United were among many admirers of 23-year-old Bosnian Dzeko during the summer and the good money is on him departing the Volkswagen Arena next summer.

Partner Grafite did a Wayne Rooney in the first match of Group B by scoring a hat-trick against CSKA Moscow.

He joined the United striker as one of only six players who have achieved that feat on their Champions League debut.

Fergie will no doubt be comforted by the fact that Rio Ferdinand looked much more like his old self against Stoke at the weekend after his poor display in the Manchester derby.

Stuart Mathieson

September 29, 2009

NEMANJA Vidic insists United's nightmare in Rome will drive them on to be champions of Europe again.

United relinquished their Champions League crown with a 2-0 defeat to Barcelona in May - but are aiming to reach a third final in a row this season.

They face German champions Wolfsburg on Wednesday, with Vidic revealing that the scars of Rome still linger.

"It is a very bad feeling when you go to the final and lose," said the Serbian. "It is a bad memory.

"But you also have to acknowledge it is better to get to the final and lose than not be there at all.

"Now we need to be stronger. We know how we felt. We need to make sure it doesn't happen again."

United are looking to make it eight straight wins in all competitions after the defeat to Burnley last month. It has seen them move to the top of the Premier League, while victory against Wolfsburg would see them lead Group B in the Champions League.

But Vidic has sent out a chilling warning to United's rivals at home and abroad, insisting that Sir Alex Ferguson's side are still to hit top form.

"At the moment we are doing well," he said. "We have had the best start of the four years I have been here.

"We have quality players, so the small details will decide who wins the title and Champions League.

"We are still not in the best form. That is a good thing. You don't want to be playing your best football at this stage.

"We have to be ready for the most important games at the end."