The striker, pictured, has not made a competitive outing since completing 51 minutes of Leeds’ 3-2 victory over Carlisle last month, but a week of training has allowed him to recover from a niggling ankle injury.

Beckford will start alongside Dougie Freedman tonight providing Gary McAllister has no lingering doubts over his fitness, and the forward’s comeback has provided United’s manager with a squad which is on the verge of full strength.

“He’s scored 20 league goals and when you get your top goalscorer back it’s an obvious boost,” said McAllister.

Left-back Alan Sheehan is United’s only absentee tonight as he serves the second match of his three-game ban, and club captain Alan Thompson is available to face Carlisle after overcoming a long-standing calf strain.

United (from): Ankergren, Richardson, Kenton, Huntington, Michalik, Marques, Hughes, Kilkenny, Douglas, Howson, Johnson, Prutton, Thompson, Carole, Sweeney, Beckford, Freedman, Kandol, Elding, Lucas.