United’s test of character

MANCHESTER United defender Wes Brown has warned his young team–mates they face a test of character against Barnsley at Oakwell tonight in the Carling Cup.

Manager Sir Alex Ferguson will ring the changes for the fourth round match with a Barclays Premier League fixture in mind on Saturday when they entertain Blackburn.

He will hand a debut to Gabriel Obertan, three months after the 20–year–old midfielder arrived from Bordeaux. Obertan has proved his fitness following a back injury in three games for the reserves.

Danny Welbeck – who scored the winner against Wolves in the last round – Darron Gibson, Federico Macheda and the Da Silva brothers Rafael and Fabio could all be involved.

Brown knows United will have to be fully focused if the Coca–Cola Championship side are to be despatched on their own ground.

He said: "When you go away to small ground, a tight area, it is a completely different game. They get stuck in, they are rattling and it can throw you.”

Brown is expected to start after replacing Rio Ferdinand in the second half of the Champions League victory against CSKA Moscow in the Champions League in Russia in midweek.