After coming so close yet so far to pulling off one of the great EFL Cup comebacks, Manchester United hope to make amends when Bournemouth visit Old Trafford for Sunday’s Premier League contest.
Ruben Amorim’s side were the victims of a 4-3 loss to Tottenham Hotspur in Thursday’s absorbing battle, while the Cherries snatched a point in a 1-1 draw with West Ham United on Monday thanks to some Turkish delight.
The 20-time champions of England enter the final gameweek before Christmas in a lowly 13th position, although they are still mathematically closer to the Champions League places than the relegation zone and could rise into the top half if results go their way this weekend.
Fail to win, though, and Man United will spend December 25 in the bottom half of the table for the first time in the Premier League era, but scoring at least two goals in each of their last five home matches in all competitions stands Amorim’s men in relatively good stead.
As was the case at the Etihad, there was no space for Marcus Rashford in the Man United squad for the EFL Cup bout with Tottenham; the Englishman has publicly stated his desire to leave, but Amorim insisted at full time that there could still be a way back for him at the Theatre of Dreams.
Rashford’s availability for Sunday’s game will likely remain shrouded in uncertainty until the official team sheets are released, and the same goes for Victor Lindelof, who suffered yet another injury in the first half of Thursday’s defeat.
Luke Shaw (calf) and Mason Mount (leg) will certainly not be at Amorim’s disposal, while Matthijs de Ligt was missing from Thursday’s game due to illness and is doubtful too.
It’s an afternoon kickoff in the UK, which means 8:00 AM on the east coast of the U.S.
The match can be seen on Sky Sports in the UK. Those Stateside can watch on Peacock streaming. If you’re in Canada, you can stream the game through DAZN.
Everyone else, head on over to LiveSoccerTV to find your viewing options.
Manchester United starting lineup: Onana; Yoro, Maguire, Martinez; Diallo, Ugarte, Mainoo, Dalot; Fernandes, Garnacho; Hojlund