Title champagne on ice for United

LONDON, May 3 (Reuters) Manchester United could ease the disappointment of being knocked out of the Champions League by winning the English League title for the 16th time in their history this weekend.

They can take a huge step towards the title on Saturday -- less than three days after their Champions League semi-final defeat at AC Milan -- by beating Manchester City at Eastlands.

Their first title since 2003 will then be sealed a little over 24 hours later if they have won and reigning champions Chelsea fail to beat Arsenal in the London derby at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

United have a five-point lead over Chelsea with three matches to play -- and can still end up winning the Cup and League double by taking Chelsea's title off them -- and then beating Chelsea in the first FA Cup final at the newly rebuilt Wembley Stadium on May 19.

Immediately after the Champions League defeat, manager Alex Ferguson told Sky Sports: ''You have to put disappointment behind you which has been a measure of this club. We've handled it in the past and we can handle it on Saturday.

''We can win the title at the weekend. We know it's a big game -- that's the incentive for us. What we have to do now is make sure we recover in the proper way.'' He hinted that Rio Ferdinand could return from injury for Saturday's match against a City side who have not scored at home for seven successive matches since New Year's Day -- an all-time unwanted record in the English top flight.

If that was not bad enough City have also suspended volatile midfielder and club captain Joey Barton until the end of the season for a bust-up with team mate Ousmane Dabo on the training ground.

If United win as expected, Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho will need to draw on all his man-management skills to lift his side who were also knocked out of the Champions League this week following their semi-final defeat on penalties at Liverpool on Tuesday.

Realistically, Chelsea's attention will now be on the FA Cup final with United and the chance of a domestic cup double.

YOUNG SIDE Arsenal, whose young side lost to Chelsea in February's League Cup final, have no such pretensions after their season imploded two months ago.

Both sides are already assured of their Champions League status for next season, with Chelsea in the group stage and Arsenal in the final qualifying round.

After hitting the heights in Europe, Rafael Benitez's Liverpool visit struggling Fulham on Saturday.

Despite the arrival of new manager Lawrie Sanchez, Fulham are 16th in the 20-team table on 36 points -- just one point above the relegation zone -- with two games to play.

Two clubs will join already-relegated Watford in the second division next season and 19th-placed Charlton Athletic, on 33 points, are prime candidates before hosting Tottenham Hotspur on Monday.

West Ham United's five wins from seven games still leave them in the bottom three with 35 points but they are now only goal difference behind a struggling Wigan Athletic.

The Hammers have home advantage against Bolton Wanderers, who will be playing in Sammy Lee's first game in charge since Sam Allardyce quit on Sunday, while Wigan host Middlesbrough.

EUROPEAN BATTLE While United and Chelsea are still vying for the title and five clubs are involved in the fight to avoid the drop, an intriguing battle is going on for the UEFA Cup places.

Bolton, Everton, Reading, Portsmouth and Spurs are all vying for the three UEFA Cup berths available to the teams finishing fifth, sixth and seventh.

Only two points separate Bolton in fifth place and ninth-placed Spurs, who have a match in hand, which means that there is something at stake in almost every match still to be played between now and the end of the season on May 13.

Portsmouth, chasing a European place for the first time in their history, will be awkward visitors for Everton at Goodison Park, while Reading, promoted last season and also chasing a European place for the first time, should collect three more vital points against Watford who came up with Reading last year but are going straight down again.

REUTERS DH BST0808