The mathematics are simple – any win for United at Wigan on Sunday will see them crowned champions and complete the first half of their bid to land the Premier League and Champions League.
But Wigan manager Bruce, who won the title three times as a United centre back, insists there will be no favours from his side.
He said: “Everyone who knows me knows me better than that. What am I going to say to the team? Just roll over and let Manchester United win.
“That’s not going to happen. Make no mistake, we’ll be trying our utmost.”
This has been one of the most dramatic league campaigns of recent times and the first since 1998/99 – United’s treble-winning season – that has gone to the final day.
And it is Chelsea who have emerged as United’s main challengers following Arsenal’s stumble towards the end of the season.
Though the two teams are level on 84 points, it is United’s vastly superior goal difference which will be the clincher in the event of both teams winning - Chelsea are at home to Bolton.
And that is largely down to United strike trio Cristiano Ronaldo, Carlos Tevez and Wayne Rooney, who have scored 40, 19 and 18 goals respectively.
Former United captain Bryan Robson has revealed how Reds boss Sir Alex Ferguson stresses the importance of scoring as many goals as possible to give them an advantage in such an eventuality.
United have scored 78 goals in the Premier League compared to Chelsea’s 64 and have conceded 22 goals against 25 by Avram Grant’s side.
That gives United a superior goal difference of 17, which is worth an extra point.
Although United have a 100-per-cent record against Wigan from six matches - they met for the first time in 2005/06 - Sunday’s game will not be a formality.
Bruce has transformed Wigan’s fortunes since taking charge in November when they were languishing in the bottom three with their Premier League status under threat.
Since then, Wigan have climbed out of danger and have risen to 13th place.
Only recently they drew at Chelsea, a result which underlined the massive strides they have made since Bruce took charge.
That was a result which put a huge dent in the Londoners’ title bid.
If United play anywhere near the level of performance they produced against West Ham last Saturday, when they won 4-1, they ought to triumph.
But you only have to look back to 1994/95 when United lost out to Blackburn on the last day of the season to realise the fine margin between success and failure.
Had United won at West Ham that day they would have been crowned champions, but they were held to a 1-1 draw despite completely dominating the game. They could hardly have done more, but luck was against them.
United will be hoping lightning does not strike for a second time at the JJB Stadium on Sunday.
