Cristiano Ronaldo will start a match for Manchester United for the first time since the Champions League final, with Sir Alex Ferguson eager to use his team’s Carling Cup third-round tie at home to Middlesbrough this evening to build up the forward’s match fitness.

Ronaldo has made a quicker recovery than expected since having surgery on his right ankle on July 7, but Ferguson has restricted him to two appearances as a substitute in the draws against Villarreal and Chelsea in the past week. The forward has not started a match since playing for Portugal in their European Championship quarter-final defeat by Germany on June 19, but he is expected to play as he builds up his fitness for United’s forthcoming matches against Bolton Wanderers on Saturday and Aalborg in the Champions League next Tuesday.

Ronaldo is likely to be one of several senior players involved this evening and he could be named as captain. Tomasz Kuszczak, Owen Hargreaves, Park Ji Sung, Anderson and Nani should also be involved, along with Jonny Evans, Darron Gibson, Danny Welbeck and Rafael Da Silva, the young Brazilian full back. Fabio Da Silva, Rafael’s twin brother, and Manucho Gonçalves, the Angola forward, are denied the opportunity to make their United debuts because of shoulder and foot injuries respectively.

Several of Ferguson’s players complained of minor injuries after the 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Sunday, notably Edwin van der Sar, who left the pitch in the first half after a blow to a knee in a collision with Florent Malouda. The result also came at a financial cost, with the club to receive a mandatory £25,000 fine from the FA for having seven players booked, but no further disciplinary action taken will be taken against any United player.