Team News
Rúben Amorim had little in the way of positive injury updates ahead of Manchester United’s clash with Arsenal, confirming that both Harry Maguire (knock) and Manuel Ugarte (knock) are unlikely to recover in time. The duo are set to be among 11 absentees for United, who are also without Amad Diallo (ankle), Lisandro Martínez (knee), Kobbie Mainoo (calf), Jonny Evans (back), Luke Shaw (hamstring), Mason Mount (hamstring), Altay Bayındır (unspecified), and Tom Heaton (unspecified), while Patrick Dorgu serves a suspension. With Dorgu unavailable and Maguire sidelined, Amorim may be forced to hand Victor Lindelöf his first Premier League start of the season unless he takes a chance on Ayden Heaven, a former Arsenal academy player. Another ex-Gunner, Chido Obi, impressed in the recent cup defeat to Fulham, but it is unlikely he will be trusted from the start in a match of this magnitude.
Arsenal’s injury concerns remain unchanged, with Gabriel Martinelli (hamstring), Bukayo Saka (hamstring), Kai Havertz (hamstring), Gabriel Jesus (knee), and Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee) all still out. Teenager Myles Lewis-Skelly was substituted early in the thrashing of PSV Eindhoven, though this was due to disciplinary concerns rather than injury, meaning he remains in contention for a start. Up front, Mikel Merino is set to lead the line once again, supported by Ethan Nwaneri and Leandro Trossard, who aims to join Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Emmanuel Adebayor in scoring in consecutive Premier League games at Old Trafford.
Form Guide
Manchester United’s season continues to falter, as they languish in 14th place in the Premier League while their FA Cup title defence ended in disappointing fashion against Fulham last weekend. With the Europa League now their only realistic hope of salvaging the campaign, a 1-1 draw against Real Sociedad in Thursday’s last-16 first leg at least gives them a solid platform ahead of the return fixture. However, Amorim’s men have managed just two wins from their last seven matches in all competitions, with neither victory—against Ipswich Town or Leicester City—offering much reassurance.
Arsenal, meanwhile, face an uphill battle in their pursuit of the Premier League title. Goalless outings against Nottingham Forest and West Ham United have left them 13 points adrift of Liverpool, and that gap could grow further if the league leaders take care of business against Southampton. Yet, despite their attacking issues, Mikel Arteta’s side produced a record-breaking display in midweek, dismantling PSV Eindhoven 7-1—the biggest away win in Champions League knockout history. With a quarter-final against either Atlético Madrid or Real Madrid looming, Arsenal’s confidence will be sky-high.
Predicted Outcome
Arsenal’s attacking inconsistency makes predicting their performance a challenge, but United are unlikely to allow them the same time and space PSV did. That said, Amorim’s side are at a disadvantage with two fewer days of rest, limited rotation options, and a misfiring forward line likely to struggle against Gabriel Magalhães and William Saliba. Still, usually after teams score so many goals, they have more troubles in the next match – which is why we predict Manchester United will hold Arsenal to a 0-0 draw.
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