The weekend draw with basement boys West Brom means the Red Devils have registered victories in just three of their last eight Premiership outings and only a mathematical improbability can now save them from heading into the Champions League qualifying round for the second summer in a row.

Ferguson was so annoyed at the latest dismal effort he labelled it “an embarrassment”. Yet the Scot insists when the new campaign clicks into gear in August, United will provide a stern test for the title holders.

“We don’t need to use tomorrow’s game to provide proof that we will be challenging Chelsea next season,” claimed Ferguson.

“There is nothing between the sides and they know fine well we will be one of their main challengers next season.

“They have deserved their title. Jose Mourinho has come in and built a very powerful team. But next season is already shaping up to be a very hard league.

“Liverpool will improve, as will Tottenham and then there you have Arsenal, Chelsea and ourselves. It could be quite exciting and we will definitely be amongst it.”

After finding the target with only one of their 27 shots against the Baggies, Ferguson knows a remedy must be found for United’s scoring ills if they are to provide a real threat to Chelsea tomorrow and beyond.

Badly disrupted campaigns for Ruud van Nistelrooy and Louis Saha have not helped but aside from Wayne Rooney and Paul Scholes, none of the Red Devils squad have scored more than six times in the Premiership this term.

For a side who, on paper, boast such an array of attacking talent, it is a shocking statistic and one Ferguson is not prepared to see repeated, although with little cash available this summer, the solutions appear to rest with his current squad.

The return of Van Nistelrooy from an ankle injury will be widely welcomed, particularly as United look ahead to their May 21 FA Cup final showdown in Cardiff.

After averaging 36 goals a season in his first three years at the club, the former PSV Eindhoven sharp-shooter has managed just 14 in a campaign restricted to 24 appearances because of hernia and Achilles problems.

Given his importance to United’s cause, it was no surprise Ferguson erred on the side of caution at the weekend having previously suggested Van Nistelrooy would play against West Brom.

“Ruud was not quite ready, so given the experience we had with his last injury, we felt it was better for him to train instead,” said Ferguson.

“He was in on Saturday and Sunday, so he should be ready for tomorrow.”

Gary Neville will also return from suspension to add an abrasive edge that has been missing from United’s back four since Gabriel Heinze suffered ankle ligament damage in the win over Newcastle a fortnight ago.

A poor performance by John O’Shea in the West Brom draw could tempt Ferguson to play Mikael Silvestre at left-back, with Wes Brown slotting in alongside Rio Ferdinand to accommodate Neville’s return.

Paul Scholes, Wayne Rooney and Roy Keane should also start in a team that will probably bear a close resemblance to the one Ferguson intends to field at the Millennium Stadium.

But no matter what the make up of the starting XI, long-serving winger Ryan Giggs knows a repetition of the profligacy that scarred Saturday’s game will simply not be tolerated.

“We have dropped 18 points so far against the bottom eight teams,” observed the Welsh winger.

“That is just not good enough.

“Our results against the better teams prove the quality is there, what we have lacked is consistency.

“It was the same last season and we cannot let it happen again. Chelsea have raised the bar and we will have to improve if we are going to get the championship back.”