Team News
Manchester United will welcome Matheus Cunha back into the fold on Thursday evening, as the forward has now resumed full training following the head injury he sustained during a training-ground incident. His return bolsters Ruben Amorim’s options, although Mason Mount and Joshua Zirkzee are unlikely to relinquish their starting roles after scoring confidence-boosting goals in the win at Selhurst Park. As a result, Cunha may have to take his place among the substitutes. The Brazilian’s availability means that only Benjamin Sesko, recovering from a knee problem, and Harry Maguire, managing a thigh complaint, remain sidelined. Lisandro Martinez, who recently returned from his long lay-off, should again be in contention.
For West Ham United, Lucas Paqueta is unavailable as he serves a suspension following his criticism of the referee at the weekend, an incident that has already led to his second disciplinary ban of the campaign. Nuno Espirito Santo has several options to compensate for the midfielder’s absence. He can reposition Mateus Fernandes centrally and introduce Luis Guilherme should Crysencio Summerville fail to recover from a knock, or select a midfield trio of Tomas Soucek, Freddie Potts and Soungoutou Magassa to provide a more robust defensive structure. Lukasz Fabianski, suffering from a back issue, and Oliver Scarles, nursing a shoulder injury, are the only additional concerns for the visitors. Jarrod Bowen, meanwhile, will attempt to become the first West Ham player since Jermain Defoe to score in three consecutive Premier League matches against Manchester United.
Form Guide
Manchester United’s spirited victory over Crystal Palace brought the Eagles’ longest unbeaten Premier League home run to an end, halting a sequence of 12 matches without defeat under Oliver Glasner. The win arrived at a crucial moment for a United side still dealing with the deflation of their loss to 10-man Everton and has lifted them to seventh place in the table, three points shy of Chelsea in third. After an unsteady start that included four defeats in seven outings across all competitions, Amorim has since guided his team through a run of only one loss in seven. Even so, the Portuguese coach stands on the verge of an unwelcome milestone, as another home defeat on Thursday would see him become the quickest United manager to reach 10 Premier League losses at Old Trafford, doing so in just 20 matches.
West Ham arrive in a contrasting frame of mind after their three-match unbeaten spell was halted by an in-form Liverpool side, with their efforts undermined by another moment of indiscipline from Paqueta. The midfielder’s red card, followed by an online tirade against the authorities, overshadowed the contest and placed further strain on a team hovering perilously close to the relegation zone. Depending on midweek results, Santo’s men could find themselves inside the bottom three before kick-off. The trip to Old Trafford also presents the West Ham manager with an opportunity to claim his first Premier League away victory with the club, although recent form suggests this will be a considerable challenge.
Predicted Outcome
Considering all of the above, we predict Manchester United will get a 2-1 win against West Ham and earn important three points in their quest for the European places.
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