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Fulham manager Roy Hodgson will aim to take advantage of Manchester United's defensive frailties when last season's Barclays Premier League champions come to Craven Cottage on Saturday.
Sir Alex Ferguson will once again have to field a makeshift back four as he looks for his team to draw level on points with leaders Chelsea, who play at West Ham on Sunday.
He is likely to be without three of his first-choice back four thanks to injuries to Rio Ferdinand, Gary Neville and Nemanja Vidic, who faces a late fitness test on a calf injury.
Midfield trio Park Ji-Sung, Darren Fletcher and Michael Carrick have filled in recently at the back, and Ferguson handed young Belgian Ritchie De Laet a rare start in Tuesday's 3-0 hammering of Wolves.
Hodgson is full of admiration for Ferguson, who he first met while coaching at Swedish side Malmo in the 1980s, but believes United's defence can be picked apart on Saturday.
He said: "At the moment they are weaker than when we played them last year because they don't have Neville, Ferdinand and Vidic playing for them.
"They don't even have the players that Sir Alex would like to replace them with like (Wes) Brown, (John) O'Shea and Jonny Evans so that's the obvious weakness.
"Sir Alex has great qualities, I could sit here and talk about him all afternoon.
"I have known him for a long time and there is nothing but praise you can shower upon him. They deserve the utmost respect and that's what we will give them tomorrow."
Hodgson led his time to a 2-0 win over United in the corresponding fixture last year, when the visitors had Wayne Rooney and Paul Scholes sent off.
With Andy Johnson (groin) and Diomansy Kamara (knee) out, Hodgson will once again look to Bobby Zamora to lead the line on Saturday.
Form suggests the former Tottenham striker is the player most likely to pick apart United's patched-up defence.
He is Fulham's top scorer with nine goals this season and has scored three in his last two matches, including a vital double against Basle that helped Fulham advance to the last 32 of the Europa League.
Zamora, who Hodgson has tipped for a place in the England squad, only managed four goals last season, leading to suggestions that he could leave Craven Cottage.
Hodgson puts Zamora's drastic improvement this season down to a mixture of luck and increased confidence.
"I think the things he did last season - the movements, the team-work, his dedication to the team and his unselfish behaviour for the team are unchanged," the 62-year old said.
"He was getting into positions but unfortunately the ball wasn't falling to him, but this year has.
"I remember saying to him at the start of this season, 'You will score goals because you are a good player and you have the technique to score goals'.
"He had a barren year but luckily this year it's more normal. He's not doing exceptional for him, but that's what he should be doing.
"We are just fortunate in the barren year it was still a good year for us because he helped us achieve our best ever result."
Hodgson's team were drawn against Shakhtar Donetsk in the last 32 of the Europa League today.
The Ukrainian side beat Werder Bremen in the final of Europe's second competition last season before the UEFA Cup's name and format changed this summer.
Former Inter Milan boss Hodgson had been looking for a big tie and is relishing the prospect of facing Shakhtar, who are backed by wealthy Ukrainian business tycoon Rinat Akhmetov.
"It doesn't get much harder than playing the champions I suppose. We saw last year what a good team they are," said Hodgson.
"On the other hand we have battled hard to get through the group stage and we were hoping for a good game, an interesting game."
Sir Alex Ferguson will once again have to field a makeshift back four as he looks for his team to draw level on points with leaders Chelsea, who play at West Ham on Sunday.
He is likely to be without three of his first-choice back four thanks to injuries to Rio Ferdinand, Gary Neville and Nemanja Vidic, who faces a late fitness test on a calf injury.
Midfield trio Park Ji-Sung, Darren Fletcher and Michael Carrick have filled in recently at the back, and Ferguson handed young Belgian Ritchie De Laet a rare start in Tuesday's 3-0 hammering of Wolves.
Hodgson is full of admiration for Ferguson, who he first met while coaching at Swedish side Malmo in the 1980s, but believes United's defence can be picked apart on Saturday.
He said: "At the moment they are weaker than when we played them last year because they don't have Neville, Ferdinand and Vidic playing for them.
"They don't even have the players that Sir Alex would like to replace them with like (Wes) Brown, (John) O'Shea and Jonny Evans so that's the obvious weakness.
"Sir Alex has great qualities, I could sit here and talk about him all afternoon.
"I have known him for a long time and there is nothing but praise you can shower upon him. They deserve the utmost respect and that's what we will give them tomorrow."
Hodgson led his time to a 2-0 win over United in the corresponding fixture last year, when the visitors had Wayne Rooney and Paul Scholes sent off.
With Andy Johnson (groin) and Diomansy Kamara (knee) out, Hodgson will once again look to Bobby Zamora to lead the line on Saturday.
Form suggests the former Tottenham striker is the player most likely to pick apart United's patched-up defence.
He is Fulham's top scorer with nine goals this season and has scored three in his last two matches, including a vital double against Basle that helped Fulham advance to the last 32 of the Europa League.
Zamora, who Hodgson has tipped for a place in the England squad, only managed four goals last season, leading to suggestions that he could leave Craven Cottage.
Hodgson puts Zamora's drastic improvement this season down to a mixture of luck and increased confidence.
"I think the things he did last season - the movements, the team-work, his dedication to the team and his unselfish behaviour for the team are unchanged," the 62-year old said.
"He was getting into positions but unfortunately the ball wasn't falling to him, but this year has.
"I remember saying to him at the start of this season, 'You will score goals because you are a good player and you have the technique to score goals'.
"He had a barren year but luckily this year it's more normal. He's not doing exceptional for him, but that's what he should be doing.
"We are just fortunate in the barren year it was still a good year for us because he helped us achieve our best ever result."
Hodgson's team were drawn against Shakhtar Donetsk in the last 32 of the Europa League today.
The Ukrainian side beat Werder Bremen in the final of Europe's second competition last season before the UEFA Cup's name and format changed this summer.
Former Inter Milan boss Hodgson had been looking for a big tie and is relishing the prospect of facing Shakhtar, who are backed by wealthy Ukrainian business tycoon Rinat Akhmetov.
"It doesn't get much harder than playing the champions I suppose. We saw last year what a good team they are," said Hodgson.
"On the other hand we have battled hard to get through the group stage and we were hoping for a good game, an interesting game."