(Football news) Manchester United will aim to win at Old Trafford for the second time this week, having already defeated Sheriff Tiraspol 3-0 in the UEFA Europa League. West Ham are also coming off the back of a victory in Europe against Silkeborg 1-0 in the Europa Conference League. After a few disappointing performances at the start of the season, Manchester United seem to have finally found their groove and are currently sixth in the Premier League table, on equal points with fifth place Chelsea and a point behind fourth place Newcastle United.
The mood at Old Trafford heading into this match will be positive, especially considering that Manchester United have not lost at home since the opening day and West Ham haven’t defeated them at their stadium since 2007. The Hammers also made a slow start in the Premier League, losing three consecutive games but have recovered their form and are currently 10th in the table, getting four wins with the most recent one coming against Bournemouth. Moreover, West Ham have won all five games in the UEFA Conference League so far and will be fairly confident of at least getting a draw against the Red Devils.
In team news, Erik ten Hag is expected to reinstate Marcus Rashford in the starting lineup at the expense of Cristiano Ronaldo while Harry Maguire could make his first Premier League start since September with Raphael Varane injured. The likes of Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Anthony Martial could be included in the squad, having recovered from their respective injuries but it’s an almost certainty that neither of them will feature in the starting lineup.
As for West Ham, Lucas Paqueta sustained a shoulder injury in the 1-1 draw against Southampton which means Flynn Downes is expected to feature in central midfield. Craig Dawson could be named in the squad after recovering from a dead leg but Thilo Kehrer is expected to retain his place alongside Kurt Zouma. Despite featuring for 75 minutes against Silkeborg, Nayef Aguerd will not feature against Manchester United with David Moyes indicating that he will be in action in the domestic competition after the World Cup. Considering Manchester United’s form, especially at home, three points for the Red Devils seems like the most likely result.
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