London, September 10

With impeccable timing, David De Gea could return to the Manchester United team for Saturday’s Premier League clash against arch-rivals Liverpool having been the scourge of the Merseysiders at Old Trafford last season.

The Spaniard was left on the sidelines as a lengthy transfer wrangle with Real Madrid ran its course before being abandoned at the last minute. De Gea is now set to remain at Old Trafford for at least the next four months and the ball is in manager Louis van Gaal’s court as to whether De Gea features in traditionally their most fiercely-contested fixture of the season. He was the man-of-the-match when the sides met last year, making a string of superb saves as United won 3-0, the first part of a league double over Liverpool.

With the season still in its infancy, the teams have enjoyed similarly inconsistent starts, with both on seven points from four games and looking to rebound after disappointing defeats before the international break. Liverpool come into the match seeking to heal the wounds of a 3-0 home defeat by West Ham United and will be without Brazilian playmaker Philippe Coutinho, who was sent off in that dismal Anfield reverse.

United lost 2-1 at Swansea City but have since spent 36 million pounds on young French forward Anthony Martial in a bid to add attacking impetus to a side that has looked defensively solid but lacking in attacking threat. Manchester City will take their 100 per cent record to Crystal Palace while champions Chelsea travel to Everton having lost two games and amassed only four points from their first four matches.

Manchester City have looked imperious in their four straight wins, scoring 10 goals and conceding none, but they face an in-form Palace who have won three of their first four.

Arsenal, whose fans have vented their frustrations since the close of the transfer window after boss Arsene Wenger made no outfield signings, host Stoke City who have claimed just two points from their first four games.