Manchester United’s season continues to go down the drain.
The Red Devils are coming off another disappointing performance, this time a scoreless draw against Valencia in the UEFA Champions League… and quite frankly, the team has been struggling badly on all competitions by now. But they will get another chance to bounce back in their final game before the international break, as United will host an equally-struggling Newcastle United side at Old Trafford this Saturday.
Team News
Unfortunately, Jose Mourinho will have to deal with a few absences heading into this contest. Aside from Marcos Rojo, who continues to rehab from a lingering injury, United won’t have Ander Herrera and Jesse Lingard. However, one player that could return is Ashley Young. The England international missed the midweek contest against Valencia due to a minor injury, but is elegible once again.
On the other hand, Newcastle United won’t have Salomon Rondon (thigh) and Florian Lejeune (knee) since both remain unavailable. However, manager Rafa Benitez could recover Federico Fernandez and Paul Dummett. Both missed last week’s match against Leicester City with hamstring injuries, but both could be elegible to feature here since they recovered just in time for the Old Trafford trip.
Form guide
Manchester United’s form has been quite poor at the moment, and the team is coming off one of their worst weeks in recent memory since they were eliminated from the Carabao Cup and also lost to West Ham this past week. To further enhance their woes, they settled for a 0-0 draw against Valencia at Old Trafford this past Tuesday, meaning they have not won in their past four games across all competitions. Will they be able to bounce back knowing that the international break is right around the corner?
Manchester United might be struggling, but Newcastle United are in deeper trouble right now; The Magpies are yet to win in the Premier League this season (D2, L5). However, their struggles have come even before the season started. If we add their pre-season friendlies into the mix, we can see that Benitez’s men are riding a 12-game winless run (D4, L8). In the process, they were eliminated from the Carabao Cup and have secured just two out of 21 possible Premier League points. To make things even more complicated, they have scored only four goals during the entire league campaign.
What is our record against Newcastle United?
The Red Devils have a solid overall record against The Magpies. They have won 84 of the sides’ 165 competitive meetings (42 Newcastle wins, 39 draws). Last season, each won their respective home game. United secured a 4-1 win at Old Trafford, while Newcastle won 1-0 at St. James’ Park.
Prediction
This is going to be a tough game for Manchester United. At least on paper, United certainly look like the better team. But Newcastle have their backs against the wall and desperately need the three points. It won’t be easy, but United will get the job done. Expect them to secure the three points to enter the international break on a high note.
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