Manchester United will resume their Premier League season at home against Everton on Saturday afternoon, fresh off a last-gasp win against Villarreal in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Man United are fourth in the table, one point behind leaders Liverpool, while Rafael Benitez’s Everton are fifth, tied on points (13) with their opponents this weekend at Old Trafford.
Team news
Manchester United
• Manchester United’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka returns from suspension, but Harry Maguire remains sidelined due to injury.
• Despite being named in England’s squad, Luke Shaw may be forced to sit out again on Saturday due to a shoulder injury. On standby are Alex Telles and Diogo Dalot.
• Given the short time between games, Solskjaer should use this opportunity to flex his roster, starting Jesse Lingard, Nemanja Matic, and Edinson Cavani.
• But it’s unclear whether he’ll actually bench players like Bruno Fernandes and Cristiano Ronaldo. Especially after his game-winning goal in the middle of the week.
• Amad Diallo and Marcus Rashford will not be back until after the international break.
Everton
• Jordan Pickford and Lucas Digne returned from injuries to start Everton’s 2-0 win over Norwich last Saturday, but the former is now doubtful.
• Rafa Benitez, on the other hand, will have to wait until after the international break to bring back Seamus Coleman, Richarlison, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Alex Iwobi is also a big question mark.
• Andre Gomes is sidelined, but Jean-Philippe Gbamin is expected to start on Saturday.
• With Iwobi out, it wouldn’t be surprising if Benitez deployed a back three or moved Lucas Digne further forward with Ben Godfrey at left back. Iwobi’s replacement, Anthony Gordon, is a natural choice.
Prediction
• Manchester United had a horrible performance on midweek, but David de Gea kept them in the game against Villarreal, and Cristiano Ronaldo scored the game-winning goal. The atmosphere at Old Trafford was electrifying, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team will need to capitalize on it.
• Everton beat struggling Norwich 2-0 last weekend to snap a two-game losing streak. Last time around, Rafa Benitez was able to welcome back some crucial defenders, but his first-choice attack duo of Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin is still missing.
• United hasn’t lost at home to Everton since 2013, and if they want to keep up with their title rivals, they can’t afford to drop points here.
a full-fledged Everton would have liked to get at least a point at Old Trafford, but they will be without a number of key players. Man United will almost certainly be better than they were against Villarreal on Wednesday, and we expect them to win all three points this weekend, possibly maintaining a rare clean sheet.
Manchester United possible starting lineup:
De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Varane, Shaw; Matic, Fred; Greenwood, Fernandes, Pogba; Ronaldo
Everton possible starting lineup:
Pickford; Godfrey, Mina, Keane, Digne; Townsend, Doucoure, Allan, Iwobi; Gray; Rondon
Our Prediction: Manchester United 2-0 Everton
Man United are fourth in the table, one point behind leaders Liverpool, while Rafael Benitez’s Everton are fifth, tied on points (13) with their opponents this weekend at Old Trafford.
Team news
Manchester United
• Manchester United’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka returns from suspension, but Harry Maguire remains sidelined due to injury.
• Despite being named in England’s squad, Luke Shaw may be forced to sit out again on Saturday due to a shoulder injury. On standby are Alex Telles and Diogo Dalot.
• Given the short time between games, Solskjaer should use this opportunity to flex his roster, starting Jesse Lingard, Nemanja Matic, and Edinson Cavani.
• But it’s unclear whether he’ll actually bench players like Bruno Fernandes and Cristiano Ronaldo. Especially after his game-winning goal in the middle of the week.
• Amad Diallo and Marcus Rashford will not be back until after the international break.
Everton
• Jordan Pickford and Lucas Digne returned from injuries to start Everton’s 2-0 win over Norwich last Saturday, but the former is now doubtful.
• Rafa Benitez, on the other hand, will have to wait until after the international break to bring back Seamus Coleman, Richarlison, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Alex Iwobi is also a big question mark.
• Andre Gomes is sidelined, but Jean-Philippe Gbamin is expected to start on Saturday.
• With Iwobi out, it wouldn’t be surprising if Benitez deployed a back three or moved Lucas Digne further forward with Ben Godfrey at left back. Iwobi’s replacement, Anthony Gordon, is a natural choice.
Prediction
• Manchester United had a horrible performance on midweek, but David de Gea kept them in the game against Villarreal, and Cristiano Ronaldo scored the game-winning goal. The atmosphere at Old Trafford was electrifying, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team will need to capitalize on it.
• Everton beat struggling Norwich 2-0 last weekend to snap a two-game losing streak. Last time around, Rafa Benitez was able to welcome back some crucial defenders, but his first-choice attack duo of Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin is still missing.
• United hasn’t lost at home to Everton since 2013, and if they want to keep up with their title rivals, they can’t afford to drop points here.
a full-fledged Everton would have liked to get at least a point at Old Trafford, but they will be without a number of key players. Man United will almost certainly be better than they were against Villarreal on Wednesday, and we expect them to win all three points this weekend, possibly maintaining a rare clean sheet.
Manchester United possible starting lineup:
De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Varane, Shaw; Matic, Fred; Greenwood, Fernandes, Pogba; Ronaldo
Everton possible starting lineup:
Pickford; Godfrey, Mina, Keane, Digne; Townsend, Doucoure, Allan, Iwobi; Gray; Rondon
Our Prediction: Manchester United 2-0 Everton