Sir Alex Ferguson is delighted with the partnership of Michael Owen and the teenage Federico Macheda after they both found the back of the net on their Asian tour.
Owen, who moved to Manchester United on a free transfer, bagged his second goal in as many games since making his
debut, while Macheda is a player Ferguson has high hopes for.
The pair started on Monday in preference to Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov and the Italian opened the scoring against a Malaysian XI on 11 minutes, finishing coolly after picking up a cross from Darren Fletcher.
Owen struck two minutes later, pouncing on a loose ball in the box after Zoran Tosic crossed from the left, driving it into the net from close range as the Red Devils won 2-0.
"If he stays fit it will be an absolute bonus for us," Ferguson said of Owen.
"There were a couple of cases where he's shown his real experience, and that's what he's really good at, his positioning, and he's so quick to get to the ball.
While Owen has plenty of pedigree, Macheda, at 17, is still learning the ropes although he already has hero status at Old Trafford after scoring a stunning injury-time winner on his debut against Aston Villa in April.
"We've got big hopes for Macheda - that's one of the main reasons why we didn't move [for someone else] in the market," said Ferguson.
"He's still only 17, but we've got great faith in the boy.
"He's strong, aggressive and a terrific finisher."
After giving all of his 22-strong squad some time on the pitch during their two victories over Malaysia, the manager also had praise for some of his younger players, such as Tosic, Jonny Evans, Fabio and Darron Gibson.
They next play FC Seoul on Friday.
- NZPA
