Barring a last-minute bureaucratic hold-up, the 6.3-million-pound Spanish forward is expected to make his debut against United at Anfield in a match the visitors simply can not afford to lose if they are to cling on to any hope of catching Premiership leaders Chelsea.

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has no doubts about Morientes's ability to make an immediate impact on English football and plug the gap created by injuries to Djibril Cisse and Harry Kewell.

"He is important to us," Benitez said. "He is good in the air, he is a good finisher and can shoot with both feet. We need a target man with experience - for the supporters, for the team and for the players.

"He is not the quickest, but he can play with Milan Baros and they could form a good partnership because one is good in the air and the other is quick."

Benitez is aware that any player leaving Real may have psychological problems adjusting to what will almost inevitably be perceived as a step backwards in his career.

But the former Valencia coach believes Morientes is a different case and proved as much with the impact he made at Monaco last season where he was instrumental in helping the French side to the Champions League final.

"He played well there and gained more confidence, then he went back to Madrid and said: 'OK, if I don't play a game I will leave.'

"Now he has the best mentality for us because he wants to play well and prove himself."

United make the short journey to Liverpool bolstered by the rapid increase in manager Sir Alex Ferguson's selection options.

French striker Louis Saha, defender John O'Shea and South Africa midfielder Quinton Fortune all made their return from injury against Chelsea in the League Cup semi-final in midweek and Ferguson is also having Rio Ferdinand and Ryan Giggs fit in time for Saturday's lunchtime encounter.

With better finishing, Ferguson argued, United could have edged Wednesday's encounter with Chelsea and the Scot has been encouraged by the recent form of his team.

"We have had six clean sheets in a row and that breeds confidence," he underlined.

United however are still faced with a daunting task if they are to make up the 11 points that currently separate them from Chelsea in the Premiership table.

The leaders have repeatedly defied predictions that they would start to drop points but Saturday's trip to Tottenham does look like the kind of fixture where Jose Mourinho's side could come unstuck.

When Spurs visited Stamford Bridge earlier in the season the encounter finished goalless and Mourinho accused them of "parking the bus" in front of goal.

Since then however, Jacques Santini has left Tottenham and, under Martin Jol, the club has reverted to the kind of attacking football with which it has been traditionally associated and a strong recent run has lifted Spurs to seventh in the table.

Second-placed Arsenal, seven points adrift of Chelsea, travel to Bolton for an evening fixture bolstered by the restorative influence of having had a full week off.

The time to heal has helped Thierry Henry, Sol Campbell, Freddie Ljungberg, and Ashley Cole all recover from various injuries and Arsene Wenger is likely to have a strong squad at his disposal for the trip to the north west.

FIXTURES
(1500 GMT unless stated)
Saturday: Aston Villa v Norwich, Bolton v Arsenal (1715 GMT), Charlton v Birmingham, Liverpool v Manchester Utd (1230 GMT), Manchester City v Crystal Palace, Newcastle v Southampton, Portsmouth v Blackburn, Tottenham v Chelsea

Sunday: Fulham v West Brom (1605 GMT), Middlesbrough v Everton (1400 GMT)