Ferguson Does Not Expect Mourinho Back

Sir Alex Ferguson said last night he did not expect Jose Mourinho to return to English football and confirmed that, in his absence, he regarded Arsenal as the most likely challengers to Manchester United's title defense. Ferguson has spoken at length to Mourinho and got the impression the former Chelsea manager had reservations about whether he wanted to work again in the Premier League.

"I've been in touch with him and I don't know if he will come back into the English game," said Ferguson. "I think Jose will end up at a top team in Spain or Italy. There is no one on the radar at the moment, he's taking a break and I think he's aiming to come back fresh. I don't think there's any problem about him coming back, it's where he comes back and I don't think anyone has any clues at the moment."

Ferguson made it clear he was still anticipating a sustained challenge from Chelsea under Avram Grant but the United manager will take his side to Arsenal tomorrow believing Arsène Wenger's unbeaten side pose the biggest threat to his winning a 10th championship in 16 seasons. "At the moment I think it's looking between Arsenal and ourselves at the top but football changes," said Ferguson. "When we come to January and it really does start, then I expect to see Liverpool and Chelsea."

Ferguson watched Arsenal largely outplay Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday but United are intrepid travelers and will head to the Emirates buoyed by eight successive league wins and a run of form that has seen the club equal a 100-year record by scoring four goals in each of the last four matches. "It is a team that's coming together," said Ferguson. "The start we had, minus [Wayne] Rooney for four games and Ronaldo for three games, was certainly not the start we wanted, particularly as [Carlos] Tevez hadn't done any pre-season work. We have had some incredible injury situations."

Gary Neville will hope to be included in the squad for tomorrow's game after playing 56 minutes for United's reserves in his comeback from an ankle ligament injury last night. Neville was booked and scored an own-goal - although Stock port County's Dan Ellis will try to claim the strike - as United beat Stock port 6-1 in the Manchester Senior Cup. It was Neville's first appearance since March.