Manchester United could do their crosstown rivals a big favour when they host Liverpool at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Victory for the Red Devils would prevent Jurgen Klopp’s men from capitalising on their game in hand over Manchester City, keeping the two Premier League frontrunners on level terms with 27 matches played.

That said, United have their own agenda, of course.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has steered his team back into the top four since replacing Jose Mourinho on a temporary basis in December, taking 24 points from the 27 on offer.

While there can be no denying his remarkable influence in turning their season around within two months, the Norwegian can’t take all the credit.

Backroom staff aside, Solskjaer is thought to have had a helping hand from none other than Sir Alex Ferguson during his brief time at the club.

With that in mind, the current United boss is willing to invite the most successful of his predecessors to deliver a team talk at Carrington before Liverpool’s visit this weekend.

“I don't think Jurgen Klopp will read what I say,” Solskjaer said, per Manchester Evening News.

“I'm not gonna read what he says or what the players say, that's further down the line, I would think.

“But he would be welcome to have his talk to the players if he wanted to, the Gaffer, because we know how much it meant for him to overtake Liverpool [in terms of league titles]. I think our players know what it means for everyone at Man United.”

While his players would surely relish hearing from Ferguson before such a momentous clash, Solskjaer did clarify United had 'no plans' for him to partake in any such activity.

When asked about his own strategy to inflict Liverpool’s second league defeat of the season, Solskjaer replied: “I wouldn't tell anyone, would I?”

United were undone by fine margins against Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie, but even so, they simply must produce an improved display on Sunday.

“We have to perform better than we did against PSG, because it's a big game, a big team. We're not underdogs any more, people praise us, now is the time to play them.

"We need to learn from that experience against PSG, because we didn't perform to the level that we wanted to, even though they should have had ten men and we should have had 11 when it was quite even.”