Manchester United are back in Premier League action this Sunday and they will be traveling to City Ground, to face Nottingham Forest. Here is everything you need to know ahead of the match.
Team News
Looking at the players Nottingham Forest are set to miss for the match against Manchester United, it is easy to see another reason why they are not doing well this season. Cheikhou Kouyate and Moussa Niakhate are the two latest additions, as they both suffered hamstring injuries. But they are far from the only guys in the treatment room. Gustavo Scarpa is out due to knee injury, as well as Giulian Biancone. Renan Lodi had a knock, Omar Richards is struggling with his calf, whille all of Dean Henderson, Willy Boly and Chris Wood are out of contention due to thigh issues. Ryan Yates has a shoulder problem and Serge Aurier is also expected to miss out on this match.
Looking at Forest, things at United are better, but not too much. They will be without Marcus Rashford once again due to groin injury, as well as Donny van de Beek (knee), Luke Shaw (thigh) and Tom Heaton and Alejandro Garnacho due to ankle injuries. But they are not the only ones either. Lisandro Martinez’s injury against Sevilla means his season is over, while Raphael Varane will be out for a few weeks. This will lead to some big changes in defence, with Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof set to replace them.
Form Guide
Nottingham Forest are far from a simple situation. They are sitting in 18th place with 27 points after 30 matches played, meaning they are in the relegation zone. They have just two points more than 19th-placed Leicester, and are equal on points with Everton, who are just above them on goal-difference. A look at Forest’s run of results is not an easy one – their last Premier League win was on 5 February, more than two months ago, when they defeated Leeds 1-0. Since, they drew three times and lost six games, including tough beatings at the hands of Fulham, West Ham and Leeds themselves. Now their run is even tougher, since they will face Liverpool after United, so getting out of the relegation zone might be a too big of a task for the newcomers to the league.
As for United, things are getting better in the Premier League. After a disappointing 2-0 loss against Newcastle two weeks ago, they won against Brentford and Everton without conceding a solitary goal. That is all good and well, but those wins came at Old Trafford and it is a well known fact there is a huge difference in United’s performances at home and away this season. In the meantime, the Devils also let Sevilla slip from their hands in the Europa League, conceding two late own goals to end the match 2-2, when they were clearly the better team on the night. With the rematch in Spain already in sight, a good performance against a struggling Forest side will be expected.
Predicted Outcome
We predict Manchester United will get a 2-0 win against Nottingham Forest, despite all of their issues with injuries. It is clear Forest are in even worse problems in that regard, and their morale as at the lowest. United should get the most out of that and get an easy win before a tough trip to Spain.
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