With Wayne Rooney suspended and Louis Saha injured, Ferguson is desperately short of forwards and Welbeck has impressed Ferguson hugely in recent weeks. The teenager has yet to make his competitive debut but did play for part of United’s friendly in Saudi Arabia last month after which the manager announced he would stay with the senior squad for the remainder of the season. The fact that tomorrow’s match will also commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Munich air disaster in which eight of the Busby Babes died is even more poignant if Welbeck is chosen.

Ferguson said: “I may bring in the boy Welbeck, possibly from the start. ”The boy has a chance of making it. We think he has that temperament.

“I think we want to keep Cristiano Ronaldo as a wide player, we are short up front, Louis Saha is not back and we could have played Ryan Giggs through the middle but I think Welbeck has got the temperament.”

Ferguson added there were many comparisons between Matt Busby’s team of 1958 and the latest generation of United stars.

He added: “They had so many young players then who were so exciting and I think the young players we have these days are equally exciting, doing the same things Manchester United have done in the past.”

Both teams will be wearing special shirts to commemorate the crash, in which eight United players died, as well as former City keeper Frank Swift, who was working as a sports reporter.

Ferguson does not expect City manger Sven-Goran Eriksson to spring any surprises though he will try and predict who will replace the absent Brazilian playmaker Elano.

“Sven has made sure they are defensively tight – only on one occasion has he played 4-4-2, in the main it has been one striker and I expect he will do that, most teams do that at Old Trafford.

“He will have to replace Elano so we will try to work that one out but he’s generally consistent with his selection so we should know what to expect.” The United manager said he had no problem with Rooney, Rio Ferdinand and Wes Brown all playing most of England’s midweek friendly though he was unhappy that Ronaldo played the full match of Portugal’s 3-1 friendly defeat by Italy.

“Ronaldo was the one I was disappointed with,” said Ferguson. “They made five substitutions but he played 90 minutes. Deco and Maniche can come off when they want but he has to play the full game as he’s the golden boy.

“We will give him a rest at some stage but he’s playing great at the moment and looking very strong.

“But you are never going to change it and you are never going to be satisfied from a club point of view.”