Manchester United edged out Wolves despite missing many key Old Trafford players.

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[picappgallerysingle id="10135858"]On Saturday, Manchester United beat Wolverhampton Wanderers with the falling team: Edwin van der Sar; Patrice Evra, Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand, Wes Brown; John O’Shea (Paul Scholes 74), Owen Hargreaves (Bebe 10) (Federico Macheda 74), Park Ji-Sung, Darren Fletcher, Gabriel Obertan; Javier Hernandez.

The defence is not far from what might be considered full strength, but considering they were missing Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes (from the start), Nani, Anderson, Antonio Valencia, and Michael Carrick from the midfield, and Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Owen from attack, the fact that they were able to grind out a victory has to be applauded.

That is arguably the entire first choice midfield and attack absent from the start of the match – with the exception of Darren Fletcher perhaps.

The virus that has hit the Manchester United side almost cost them victory, but Park Ji-Sung’s brace ensured the Red Devils secured maximum points and Chelsea’s loss to Liverpool meant that the two Manchester clubs were the biggest winners of the weekend.

United are the only unbeaten side left in the league, and while late capitulations to the likes of Everton and Fulham have cost them valuable points, the three gained at Old Trafford on Saturday through competing until the last show a lesson has been learned.

It was a well-timed boost ahead of the Manchester derby, with their opponents likely to be without the box office entertainment of Mario Balotelli, and could prove crucial at the end of the season.