After a lacklustre midweek exit from the League Cup, Manchester United return to serious business today with the aim of keeping up with Premier League leaders Manchester City.

Manager Alex Ferguson is sure to recall his senior players to face Aston Villa today after Wayne Rooney, Javier Hernandez, Nemanja Vidic and David de Gea all sat out Wednesday’s 2-1 defeat against second-tier Crystal Palace.

Ferguson apologised to fans for his team’s quarter final defeat, but his team selection showed that the tournament didn’t feature highly on his list of priorities. Mame Biram Diouf and Federico Macheda both started the game, while Paul Pogba, Zeki Fryers and Ravel Morrison all came on as substitutes.

“I don’t know where to start, to be honest,” Ferguson said. “That was not a Manchester United performance.”

But with City overwhelming favourites to beat newly promoted Norwich today, Ferguson needs a better display against Villa.

City are already five points clear and unbeaten. Any slip-up by United at Villa Park could even give Tottenham the chance to take second place if they beat Bolton.

United are unbeaten in 16 visits to Villa Park since 1999, when a weakened side lost in the League Cup.

The full-strength United line-up Ferguson is likely to opt for today will almost certainly include England winger Ashley Young, who will be returning to Villa for the first time since leaving to join United in the offseason.

“I wouldn’t expect anything less than a good reception for Ashley from our fans,” Villa defender Stephen Warnock said. “It’s not often the Premier League champions and the Champions League runners-up come calling and knocking on the door for you.

“We’re a club who want to progress but Manchester United as a team are at the top and Ashley has aspirations to be a top, top player and he has that ability to be one of the best in Europe. I don’t think fans can begrudge him that.”

Villa is in eighth place, albeit seven points behind seventh-place Arsenal and tied on points with the two sides immediately below it.

City won 1-0 at Arsenal in the League Cup quarter finals on Tuesday to stay in contention for at least two tournaments. Although Champions League progress looks unlikely, City have not lost domestically since a 2-1 defeat to Everton toward the end of the last Premier League season.

After starting against the Gunners, winger Adam Johnson is hoping to start a Premier League match for the first time since 26 October.

“For me and the lads that play in this competition, this gives us a chance to push to play in the team week in, week out,” Johnson said.

Tottenham lost to PAOK Thessaloniki in the Europa League on Wednesday but have placed little importance on the competition this season, instead focusing on its best start to a league campaign since opening its double-winning season of 1960-61 with 11 straight wins.

“It was a different team and it is hard when you make a lot of changes,” manager Harry Redknapp said. “Look at what happened to Manchester United. They lost. It happens all the time.

“We have been lucky so far and the important thing is that we have the players fresh for the Premier League at the weekend.”

Spurs’ 3-1 win at West Bromwich Albion last weekend was their ninth win from 10 games, with the other a draw.

Scott Parker, Gareth Bale and Emmanuel Adebayor are likely to return after being omitted from the starting lineup in Europe, although Rafael van der Vaart may again be absent because of injury.

Also today, fifth-place Chelsea travel to fourth-place Newcastle, Arsenal are at Wigan, last-place Blackburn host Swansea and West Brom are at Queens Park Rangers.