Manchester United host West Ham United for a 3pm kick-off at Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon. The Reds will be hoping to cut the gap with West Ham currently two points ahead of United in fourth place.
A home win at Old Trafford between the two sides would see United leapfrog the Hammers, with fellow Top Four rivals Tottenham and Arsenal not in action till Sunday at the earliest.
Team news
Luke Shaw served his one game suspension in last Saturday’s fixture at Villa Park, but it was a slight injury that kept him out of the squad for Wednesday’s visit to the Brentford Community Stadium. Edinson Cavani was ruled out with the same issue, and it remains to be seen whether both players will be fit and available for the clash.
Jadon Sancho was in London for the 3-1 win over Brentford, but it was for a family bereavement, with the no.25 expected to return to the matchday squad.
Jesse Lingard, who has been heavily linked with a move away from the club, missed out during the week with an ankle injury.
Lingard has only started one Premier League game all season, with rumours in recent days hotting up regarding a move to Newcastle. It is unsure whether the 29-year-old will return against the club where he enjoyed a fruitful loan spell in the second half of last season.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka is ill, with the right-back not expected to feature until after the international break.
Earlier on in the week, Paul Pogba was pictured in full-team training, however the question still remains when the Frenchman will be available. Eric Bailly will also miss out as his native Ivory Coast are through to the AFCON Round of 16.
As for the visitors, club captain Mark Noble is out, with the only current long-term absentee Angelo Ogbonna.
Summer signing Kurt Zouma and Tomas Soucek missed out on the 3-2 defeat to Leeds United with COVID, with no latest information given to us yet whether both players have overcome the virus.
Just like Eric Bailly, Said Benrahma featured at AFCON however, with Algeria suffering group stage heartbreak, there remains a small chance the 26-year-old could feature at Old Trafford.
Form Guide
Although performances have been quite underwhelming under interim boss Ralf Rangnick, the Reds have only tasted defeat once which was the last home league game against Wolves.
United have won 20 out of the last 25 Premier League home games against the Hammers, with the Irons’ last victory coming in a 1-0 win in May 2007.
However, West Ham have already tasted victory once at Old Trafford this season, as David Moyes’ side knocked United out of the Carabao Cup in the third round via an early Manuel Lanzini goal.
As for the former Manchester United boss, Moyes has never won a Premier League away game at Old Trafford, drawing four times and losing 10.
The 58-year-old will be fully aware that this is much weaker and vulnerable United side than he has faced in the past.
West Ham come into the game having won in four of their last five, with the Hammers hoping to put last Sunday’s FA Cup loss behind them.
