Ryan Giggs is confident that Manchester United have the required strength in depth to mount a serious challenge in all competitions this season.

Giggs’ claim comes after Rio Ferdinand made his long-awaited comeback from injury during United’s reserve game against Oldham last night.

Ferdinand has been out since June with a major knee ligament injury suffered in a freak collision with Emile Heskey while training with England in South Africa.

Along with the England defender, Anderson and Gary Neville are also close to a return to first-team action after spells on the sidelines.

Giggs told www.manutd.com: “The squad is looking really strong.

“We’ve got Rio to come back in, Nev hasn’t played yet, and Anderson is back too. So it’s looking really good.”

It remains to be seen whether any of them will be fit enough to make their comeback in United’s next game at Goodison Park on 11th September. Full Time Result betting has Everton at 4.00 to get the win, with United 1.80 and the draw 3.40.

United confirmed that all of their senior players, apart from those out on loan, had been registered with the Premier League ahead of yesterday’s squad list deadline – including Owen Hargreaves, who has struggled for fitness over the last two years.

Giggs does not envy his manager who he is sure will have a number of selection dilemmas throughout the season, but believes it is something that will benefit the team over the course of the campaign.

“It’s a headache for the boss, but one he would rather have than to be struggling for players,” Giggs said.

“We’ll need everyone because it’s a long season. The manager realises that.”

Manchester United are 3.25 to win the Premier League 2010/11, 9.00 to win the Champions League, 6.50 to win the FA Cup and 6.50 to win the Carling Cup.

It is 401.00 that United win all four major trophies this season.

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James Milner expects a tough game at the Stadium of Light on Sunday as big spending Manchester City travel to Sunderland.

The former Aston Villa midfielder enjoyed a memorable debut on Monday as his new team secured a comfortable 3-0 victory over Liverpool.

The north-east is always a tough place to go and they create a great atmosphere.

James Milner

Full Time Result betting for tomorrow’s clash has Sunderland at 4.50, with Man City 1.83 and the draw 3.50.

Milner played for Newcastle earlier in his career, and he believes that City will be in for a different kind of challenge when they travel to Wearside.

He said: “Steve Bruce always has his teams settled very well. He is a good manager and they had good spells last season.

“The north-east is always a tough place to go and they create a great atmosphere. It is a very good place to play football.

“It is up to us to get on top of them early in the game because if they start well and get a goal in front with the crowd behind them it can be tough.

“Hopefully we can get out of the blocks quickly, put in a good performance and get the right result.”

Milner can be backed at 3.40 to score at any time during the match with Sunderland.

City manager Roberto Mancini is pleased with the way his expensively-assembled side is developing, and he wants them to be easy on the eye.

He said: “It is important we play football – no long balls but on the floor, shifting the ball quickly. The players I have brought in need to fit the style I want to bring here.

“I have followed all the players I bought many times and know they all have good mentality.

“If we think that because we beat Liverpool that Sunderland will be easy, it would be a big mistake.

“In the Premier League every game is difficult. If you don’t play Liverpool, Manchester United or Chelsea, it is even more difficult, for me.”

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Neil Lennon will look to Walter Smith for guidance on how to survive the pressures of being manager of an Old Firm club.

While Rangers boss Smith goes into the new season looking to clinch his third successive SPL title – to add to the numerous other trophies he has won in his two spells at Ibrox – Lennon begins his first campaign as Hoops boss.

As caretaker manager at Parkhead following the departure of Tony Mowbray in March, Lennon finished the season in good form, notwithstanding a shock Active Nation Scottish Cup semi-final defeat to Ross County.

But already knocked out of the Champions League this season, Lennon knows the “honeymoon period is over” and he will ignore traditional Old Firm rivalries and look to his Ibrox counterpart to see how to negotiate the weeks and months ahead.

“I got a taste of it (last season) but it’s totally different now,”

the former Celtic skipper said.

“The honeymoon period is over and I’m bringing in my own players now.

“The Celtic fans demand the title every year.

“It’s pressure but I’ve had pressure here for 10 years as a player and coach.

“It will be a bit more isolated on me but I’m ready for it and looking forward to it.

“I look to Walter for how he has handled things.

“He was good enough before I became manager to hand out little snippets of advice that were invaluable and still are.

“I have a tremendous amount of time for him.

“He’s in a good place. People say he is under pressure but, with what he has achieved in the game, I don’t think he feels the pressure any more.

“He is probably in a place where he even actually enjoys the job now.

“Even though the pressure is on to win the title, he has done it so often in so many different situations.

“We’re in the same boat so there is a certain amount of empathy for each other.

“You respect each other’s positions and what we have to go through.”

Smith believes only those who have bossed Rangers or Celtic will understand the demands of the job.

“It’s the same all the time with Old Firm managers,” he said.

“Everyone else in the league will say that’s where they want to be working but it’s only when you’re there that you encounter the difficulties.

“Respect is something I’ve always had for Celtic managers.

“It’s the same with Neil, he is just starting out. It’s his first managerial job.

“My first job was at Rangers, so I know exactly what he’ll be going through.

“The competition doesn’t stretch to a personal level because we have knowledge of what each other has to endure over the season.”

St Johnstone manager Derek McInnes has returned to former club West Brom to sign striker Marcus Haber on a season-long loan.

The 21-year-old Canadian joined Albion from the Vancouver Whitecaps on an 18-month contract in January but he has not made a first-team appearance.

The 6ft 3in frontman has already had two loan spells, with Exeter and Vancouver, and he will see out his contract in the Scottish Premier League, although the Baggies have a one-year option on his deal.

St Mirren have bolstered their attacking options ahead of the new campaign after signing Celtic youngster Paul McGowan.

The Hoops starlet, who spent time with Hamilton last term, joins the Buddies on a season-long loan.

It is the third loan spell the 22-year-old will undertake after spending the 2006/07 campaign with Greenock Morton.

McGowan scored one goal for Celtic last season, a last-gasp equaliser in a 3-3 Europa League draw with Rapid Vienna.

He follows Scott Cuthbert and Graham Carey as Celtic players who also had loan spells with St Mirren in recent seasons.