“One or two of the younger players have slackened off in training,” the 32-year-old midfielder told MUTV.

“People on the outside obviously don’t see it and maybe the coaches don’t notice it either but I am on the training pitch with them and I don’t like what I see.

“You can’t slacken off in training then produce a performance on match-day as though you were flicking a light switch.

“I have mentioned it to the players concerned but sometimes it goes in one ear and out of the other, so you have to do it in a more public way.

“They think they have done it all when they have done nothing.”

The presence of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on the right-hand side of United’s midfield in their second-string encounter with Liverpool at Altrincham last night suggets manager Alex Ferguson is ready to draft the Norwegian back into his squad for the first time since September.

Ferguson was at Moss Lane, where Wes Brown was also given some much-needed match action as he looks to recover from his second cruciate knee ligament problem.

Leeds make the trip to Old Trafford without striker Mark Viduka, who has been banned for five days after Australia invoked FIFA regulations in the wake of his well-publicised decision not to meet up with his international team-mates in Venezuela in midweek, a blow following the 4-1 win over relegation rivals Wolves 10 days ago.

Carling Cup finalists Middlesbrough will put the hunt for a first-ever trophy to the back of their minds tomorrow as they turn their attention to the battle for local pride.

Steve McClaren’s men make the short trip to Newcastle intent on denting the Magpies’ Champions League hopes.

Spaniard Gaizka Mendieta has been a central figure in Boro’s improved form and he is confident they can keep it going.

“The team is playing quite well now,” he said. “I feel we’ve been finding the way we want to play in the last two months, and we have to keep that going.

“It’s very difficult, but we have to try because we now have the confidence and we are finding the way to play, and we have to try as hard as possible to keep that.

“The people deserve it as well as us because we have worked very hard and the people have always supported us and travelled with the team all over the place.”

Boro will be without suspended full-back Franck Queudrue at St James’ Park with veteran Colin Cooper and youngster Stuart Parnaby the men most likely to fight for his place, while George Boateng, Ugo Ehiogu and Jonathan Greening will be back in contention after recovering from injury.

Bobby Robson’s side go into the game knowing the four points they have dropped through conceding late equalisers in their last two away games at Birmingham and Blackburn mean that victory is the only acceptable result if they are to take advantage of Liverpool’s absence from the league programme this weekend.

Gerard Houllier’s side replaced the Magpies in the top four last week on goals scored after a 2-1 home win over Manchester City, but a win would once again give Newcastle a clear lead over their closest rivals.

Craig Bellamy and Lee Bowyer have shaken off knee and hip injuries respectively, but Jonathan Woodgate will be assessed as he recovers from a groin problem.

Boro’s Carling Cup final opponents Bolton also have revenge on their minds as they attempt to make Manchester City pay for their 6-2 hammering in October.

“I have three major aims for tomorrow,” said manager Sam Allardyce. “The first one is to forget about the final. The second is to win the match because Manchester City humiliated us the last time we met.

“If we can do that, we would achieve the third task, which is to extend our unbeaten run to six matches.”

City have gone 14 league games without a win and manager Kevin Keegan’s problems have been compounded by a suspension nightmare which sees him having to do without Nicolas Anelka, Paul Bosvelt and Joey Barton at the Reebok Stadium.