Manchester United assistant boss Mike Phelan says Zoran Tosic is primed to make his debut in tonight's Carling Cup semi against Derby.

Tosic has not played a competitive game since the beginning of December, and manager Sir Alex Ferguson claimed it would be the end of February before the 21-year-old was in the right condition to make his senior debut.

But the former Partizan Belgrade winger has been so impressive in training that Ferguson has had a change of heart and now intends to name Tosic in his squad for Tuesday night's Carling Cup semi-final with Derby.

"Whether it is as a starter or coming on as a substitute against Derby we have not decided yet," Phelan told the Manchester Evening News.

"But Zoran has shown he is capable of blending in. He has done it nice and quietly. Now it is a case of giving him a chance for everyone else to see what we have seen.

"He has really impressed us."