Having been made the scapegoat for England’s World Cup demise and lambasted in public by Alan Shearer, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard for his role in Wayne Rooney’s quarter-final dismissal, Ronaldo’s appearance at The Valley is sure to be greeted by jeers.

But after suffering in similar fashion in a pre-season friendly at Oxford and responding with two brilliant goals, and then smashing home another at Old Trafford on Sunday after the Fulham fans had booed him, Ronaldo has so far provided the perfect response.

And O’Shea thinks opposition supporters will eventually discover their animosity towards the Portugal winger is entirely counterproductive.

“Cristiano knows what is coming but I think he will thrive on it,” said O’Shea.

“You can see from the goals he has scored how he reacts to the test.

“Our players always seem to be targeted for certain things but it just tends to spur them on.

“In fact, I think the more people boo him, the better it will be for us.

“Soon enough I am sure people will start to realise it is better to leave him alone, then the whole thing will start to die off.”

United could certainly do with Ronaldo on top form given their lack of available firepower.

Paul Scholes and Wayne Rooney both miss out as they begin their controversial three-match suspensions, while Ryan Giggs is a doubt after being stamped on by Fulham midfielder Michael Brown at the weekend.

Much has been made of Rooney’s suspension in particular, with the England star threatening to withdraw his co-operation from all FA commercial activities in retaliation for what he sees as unfair treatment.

O’Shea admitted he could not see enough in Rooney’s challenge on Porto defender Pepe to warrant his dismissal, although he does not think the 20-year-old’s absence could be used as an excuse for a drop in standards after the Red Devils’ scintillating performance against Fulham.

“There always seems to be a challenge for Manchester United,” said the Waterford-born star. “We just have to rise to it.

“So early in the season we cannot be relying on the excuse that we are missing a couple of players.

“We have to cope with it. That is why we have such a talented squad.

“All it does is provide someone else with an opportunity to come in and do the business.”

If Giggs is fit he should replace Scholes alongside O’Shea in central midfield, with Kieran Richardson taking over on the left wing.

Although Giuseppe Rossi scored twice for the second string at Preston, Ronaldo is set to be pressed into service as an emergency striker alongside Louis Saha, having already partnered the Frenchman in the friendly win over Sevilla earlier this month.

That move should see Park Ji-Sung introduced on the right, ensuring United retain much of the pace in attack which proved so devastating against Fulham.

While Sir Alex Ferguson’s side appear well placed to pick up another three points, the chances of signing Owen Hargreaves before the transfer window shuts on August 31 appear to be receding fast.

Hargreaves has already received a stern warning from Bayern general manager Uli Hoeness to keep his mouth shut after agitating for a move to Old Trafford last week.

Now club chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has stepped in with a threat to report United to FIFA should they not end their pursuit of the 25-year-old midfielder.

Rummenigge’s statement appears to be little more than a political move as, if called upon to explain their conduct in respect of Hargreaves, United might raise similar questions over Bayern’s ultimately unsuccessful pursuit of Ruud van Nistelrooy.

However, the previously good relationship which existed between the two clubs certainly appears to be getting strained.

“We have told Manchester United to drop their interest, or we will have to turn to FIFA,” Rummenigge told Munich’s Tz newspaper.

“A club can only contact a player when the club who owns the player’s registration, is in agreement.

“We are not Hamburg, who let Khalid Boulahrouz go (to Chelsea) at the first sign he wants out. We are FC Bayern.

“We do not just let anybody go – the employer decides here, not the employee.”