Manchester United host Newcastle United in less than two weeks time.
The only Premier League match that has been kept on Boxing Day this season.
A not so friendly 8pm kick-off time for the long distance travelling Newcastle United (and Manchester United!) fans, on that Friday 26 December night.
It will be almost exactly a year since Manchester United last hosted Newcastle United, when a crowd of 73,809 watched on at Old Trafford as United blew the hosts away inside 19 minutes, 2-0 up and it could have been four or five.
Manchester United somehow reached half-time only two goals down and whilst Newcastle United continued to be the better team, Eddie Howe’s side more cruised to victory after the break.
Interesting updates ahead of this Boxing Day (night..) clash at Old Trafford, affecting the availability of players.
Bryan Mbeumo has proved to be easily the best Manchester United signing of the summer and comfortably their best player, whilst with six goals he is Man U’s top scorer.
Starting all 15 Premier League matches so far, Bryan Mbeumo will be with Cameroon at AFCON (the African Cup Of Nations) rather than facing Newcastle United on Boxing Day.
Amad Diallo is arguably the second best attacking Manchester United player. He has started 13 of their 15 league matches and came on as a sub in another, he will be with the Ivory Coast at AFCON.
Noussair Mazraoui has made nine Premier League appearances this season and for me is one of their best defenders, he will be with Morocco at AFCON.
From the past, Newcastle United fans know how damaging it can be mid-season to have key players, especially attacking ones, unavailable for this chunk of such an important part of the season. Cisse, Ba and Tiote were badly missed back in the day.
Great news though on this front for Newcastle United now AND not so good for Manchester United.
As whilst Man U are going to be without three big players on Boxing Day, this could all fall perfectly for NUFC with Yoane Wissa.
Illness has helped reduce the number of minutes he played against Leverkusen off the bench on Wednesday, but now two sub appearances and two more games to go before Old Trafford, maybe the script written for Yoane Wissa to give Manchester United even more AFCON blues, as they miss their star trio.
The striker having chosen to stay with Newcastle United across December and January, rather than disappear for up to five weeks for the African Cup of Nations.
A massive boost for United, a period of time that will include so many key matches.
Here’s hoping Eddie Howe can repeat that Manchester United 0 Newcastle United 2 scoreline and performance from December last year at Old Trafford.
Fingers crossed that Manchester United (and others not a million miles away from Tyneside) will be experiencing an AFCON affected festive period.