Manchester United travel to face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge this evening, looking to strengthen their grip on a place within the Premier League’s top five.
Michael Carrick’s side will be looking to return to winning ways later on today, after suffering a 2-1 defeat to Leeds United at Old Trafford on Monday night.
The Red Devils will be kicking off before the rest of their rivals in England’s top-flight, which could hand them a huge advantage in the race for Champions League football.
Manchester United manager Michael Carrick
However, the manager will be looking to break a six-year record on Saturday night, as he looks to become the first United manager to beat the Blues away from home since 2020.
He will also have numerous huge calls to make within his starting eleven, which could see multiple changes from the defeat against Leeds just a couple of days ago.
The latest on Man Utd’s team news ahead of Chelsea clash
Ahead of this evening’s clash, United boss Carrick has a huge issue facing him within the centre-back department after a string of recent unfortunate events.
Lisandro Martínez was dismissed for a hair pull on Dominic Calvert-Lewin on Monday, with their appeal unsuccessful and the Argentine serving his ban during tonight’s clash.
Man United's Lisandro Martinez
Fellow defender Harry Maguire is also unavailable through suspension after he was handed a one-match ban following comments made to the officials following his sending off against Bournemouth.
As a result, Ayden Heaven could fill one of the roles at the heart of the defence tonight, but Matthijs de Ligt is still absent following his recent spell on the sideline. Leny Yoro is also absent, with the Frenchman at risk of missing the remainder of the campaign.
Kobbie Mainoo could once again miss out for the Red Devils at Stamford Bridge, with the England international sitting out Monday’s defeat after picking up a knock.
The bad news continues for Carrick, who also confirmed in his pre-match press conference that full-back Patrick Dorgu still remains sidelined with a hamstring issue.
The player who could replace Amad against Chelsea
Just as he has done during most of Carrick’s time in charge of United, winger Amad Diallo was handed the chance to start from the off against Leeds on Monday night.
Amad-1
However, the Ivorian international massively struggled to make the desired impact and was subsequently withdrawn from the contest in the 70th minute.
He failed to create any chances within attacking areas for any of his teammates, whilst being unable to complete any of the dribbles and crosses he attempted.
Amad’s struggles were further reflected in his tally of two touches in the opposition’s penalty area - subsequently failing to provide the impact needed within attacking areas.
As a result, the manager should hand a recall to the starting eleven for winger Bryan Mbeumo, who was dropped to the bench for the meeting at Old Trafford on Monday.
Mbeumo
The Cameroonian international has registered nine goals and three assists so far this term - starting life in Manchester just as fellow attacker Angel Di Maria did back in 2014.
They both started their careers at Old Trafford on fire, but the former Red Devils star ultimately failed to provide the goods on a consistent basis - leading to a sale just 12 months later.
However, Mbeumo will be hoping he doesn’t suffer the same fate, with today another excellent opportunity to prove he’s capable of starring for the club in the Premier League.
Bryan Mbeumo - PL stats (2025/26)
Statistics (per 90)
Games played
Goals & assists
Shots on target accuracy
Conversion rate
Chances created
Crosses completed
Pass accuracy
Touches in 18-yard box
Fouls won
His current goal tally is the joint-highest, alongside Benjamin Sesko, showcasing the impact he’s made since his £71m transfer from Brentford during the summer window.
His underlying stats also highlight the impressive start he’s made to life in Manchester, with the 26-year-old registering a 49% shot on target accuracy rate to date.
The aforementioned tally is the highest in the current first-team squad, which demonstrates the quality he’s displayed since making the step up from the Bees.
He’s also registered 1.2 shots on target per 90 so far this campaign - also the highest in the squad - with Carrick needing to put faith in the forward producing the goods once again.
Bryan-Mbeumo-Man-Utd-West-Ham (2)
There’s no denying that, despite his recent struggles at Old Trafford, Mbeumo is a player who has managed to catch the eye more than Amad throughout 2025/26.
He also has the quality needed to unlock the Chelsea defence this afternoon and help the club move one step closer to securing a top-five finish come the end of May.
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