London: Cristiano Ronaldo is being urged by his team-mates to continue his thrilling form as Manchester United look to strengthen their grip on the English Premiership top spot at home to Reading this Saturday.

 Ronaldo was public enemy number one with many English fans before the season started for his role in the sending-off of United team-mate Wayne Rooney during Portugal's World Cup quarter-final win against England.

But the 21-year-old winger has been forgiven at Old Trafford, if not elsewhere, after scoring 10 goals so far this season - including four in United's last two matches, against Aston Villa and Wigan.

His tally and greater effectiveness in open play, where his ball trickery is now often a means to a productive end and not an end in itself, have helped his side open up a four-point gap over second-placed champions Chelsea.

Now Ronaldo is just five goals away from reaching the pre-season target set by United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

However, United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar said there was even more to come from Ronaldo.

"Ronny is in a good spell. He has been scoring goals and playing well for a couple of months," said the Dutchman.

"The manager has made a target of 15 goals for him this season, but I think we should maybe lift that a little bit now," van der Sar also told the Manchester Eveniing News.

"If he gets to 20 then, for sure, we will have a good chance (of winning the title) this season," he said.

This week Chelsea captain John Terry had surgery on his injured back, the 26-year-old centre-half having missed the London club's last three Premiership matches in which they have conceded six goals.

Jose Mourinho's men were held to a shock 2-2 draw at home to Reading on Tuesday and in-form Chelsea striker Didier Drogba - who could be switched to the back - admitted Chelsea had to tighthen up come Saturday's west London derby against Fulham at Stamford Bridge.

"We cannot give the other teams the belief that they can score, that they can win," said Ivory Coast international Drogba, who so far this season has scored 19 goals.

Arsenal are set to be without striker Emmanuel Adebayor for their trip to struggling Sheffield United.

The Londoners are 14 points behind Manchester United but Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger hasn't given up hope of the title just yet.

"I know we sound a bit crazy but no matter how big the gap is we want to get it down as much as possible," the Frenchman insisted.

Champions League hopefuls Bolton (fourth) and Portsmouth (fifth) go head-to-head at the Reebok Stadium.

Pompey manager Harry Redknapp is set to rest leading scorer Nwankwo Kanu on the grounds the nine-goal Nigerian cannot be expected to play in both this match and the New Year's Day clash with Tottenham.

"We have been lucky with injuries all season really, but Kanu cannot play two games so close together. If he plays at Bolton he won't play on Monday against Tottenham," Redknapp said.

Pompey seemed destined for relegation last season when Redknapp returned for a second spell in charge after a brief stint at arch-rivals Southampton and Bolton manager Sam Allardyce praised the way his opposite number has turned the south coast club around.

"To resurrect a side that looked dead and buried and odds on to be relegated that was remarkable. But I'm not surprised at all by what Harry has achieved this season. Not when you look at the quality of the players he's signed, and the fact he is a manager of so much guile and experience," he said.

Liverpool, who dropped to sixth after a 1-0 defeat away to Blackburn on Tuesday, are at home to a Tottenham side that beat Aston Villa 2-1 last time out - a result that left them just three points behind the Anfield club.

Relegation candidates Charlton, denied a win in new manager Alan Pardew's first game in charge after Franck Queudrue's late equaliser for Fulham, are at home to an Aston Villa side who have gone eight games without a win and haven't won in London for more than three years while basement club Watford face Wigan.

West Ham, also in the drop zone, and Manchester City will both be without a first-team regular each after Paul Konchesky and Joey Barton saw appeals against red cards rejected on Thursday.

In other matches, Blackburn are at home to Middlesbrough and Everton welcome Newcastle to Goodison Park.

AFP

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