James Beattie will not be rushed back into early action this weekend unless it is absolutely certain that he is 100% fit.

Last season's top scorer has confounded everyone with his recovery from a knee operation so far and there were grounds for believing that he might be available for the visit of Cardiff on Saturday.

However, manager Kevin Blackwell reveals that there is no need to rush things with the way the fixtures are scheduled:

"James started football work on Monday and found it tough. He has done a lot of running but actually playing the game hard is a different thing altogether."

With the team doing well so far, and an International break meaning a free weekend following this weekend's fixture, the United boss is able to bring Beattie along more gradually:

"He has been so enthusiastic and really supported the lads in every way he can. The two week break has come at an ideal time because he can carry on training and look to be ready after that."