Manchester United will be bidding to give their top-four hopes a boost when they welcome Leicester City to Old Trafford in the Premier League on Saturday evening.
The Red Devils are currently sixth in the table, four points behind fourth-placed Arsenal, who have a game in hand, while Leicester sit 10th, 14 points behind their opponents this weekend.
Match preview
© Reuters
Man United have not been in action since suffering a 1-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the second leg of their last-16 Champions League on March 15, which saw them lose 2-1 on aggregate, but the Red Devils cannot afford to dwell on the disappointment, as they bid to salvage a top-four finish in the league.
Ralf Rangnick's side recorded a 3-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur in their last league match on March 12, with Cristiano Ronaldo netting three times, but the 20-time English champions are playing catch up, currently sitting sixth in the table, four points behind fourth-placed Arsenal.
The Gunners also have a match in hand, while Tottenham and West Ham United are also firmly in the picture, meaning that Man United face a serious scrap to secure Champions League football for next season.
Over the international break, the club have been working behind the scenes, interviewing Ajax's Erik ten Hag over the managerial position, but missing out on the Champions League for next season would be a huge blow when it comes to their plans for the summer transfer window.
A busy April will see the Red Devils take on Leicester, Everton, Norwich City, Liverpool and Arsenal in the Premier League, but the absence of European football means that Rangnick should be able to keep his players fresh, and it will be fascinating to see how the campaign finishes for the club.
© Reuters
Leicester, meanwhile, were expected to again be top-four challengers in the Premier League this season, but they have been well short of that standard in 2021-22, currently sitting down in 10th spot in the table.
The Foxes are 10 points off eighth-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers heading into this weekend's fixtures, but they have three games in hand on both Wolves and seventh-placed West Ham, and it would be a surprise if they were unable to finish in the top half of the table.
Leicester are also fighting for European silverware this term, having overcome Rennes to reach the quarter-finals of the Europa Conference League, and they will take on PSV Eindhoven over two legs next month.
Brendan Rodgers's side entered the international break off the back of a 2-1 win over Brentford in the Premier League, with Timothy Castagne and James Maddison on the scoresheet, and they will be bidding to record their 11th Premier League victory of the campaign this weekend.
Leicester have the fourth-worst away record in the Premier League this season, but they have won their last three matches against the Red Devils in all competitions, including a 4-2 victory at the King Power Stadium in the Premier League back in October.
- D
- W
- W
- D
- L
- W
- W
- D
- D
- L
- W
- L
- D
- L
- W
- W
- L
- W
- W
- W
- W
- L
- L
- W
Team News
© Reuters
Man United will again be without the services of Mason Greenwood due to a club suspension, while Edinson Cavani is also out, having picked up a calf problem while representing Uruguay on Tuesday.
Fred and Alex Telles will need to be assessed after their international commitments for Brazil, but France duo Raphael Varane and Paul Pogba are both expected to be fit despite suffering small foot injuries during the recent international break.
Neither Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho were involved for England during the international break but could start here, while Ronaldo is set to lead the line with support from Bruno Fernandes, with both players on a high, having helped Portugal qualify for the World Cup.
Luke Shaw, who represented England over the break, could also be back in the side at left-back, but Diogo Dalot should keep out Aaron Wan-Bissaka on the right.
As for Leicester, Jonny Evans and Wesley Fofana are both available for selection at Old Trafford and could start, which would be a huge boost for the Foxes.
Marc Albrighton and Harvey Barnes should also both be fit despite recent issues, but Jamie Vardy is out with a knee injury, while Wilfred Ndidi will miss the remainder of the campaign with his own knee issue.
Luke Thomas remains a doubt due to a knock, while Danny Ward and Ryan Bertrand are definitely out.
Patson Daka could get the nod over Kelechi Iheanacho at the tip of the attack, but Maddison and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall should both retain their spots in the starting side.
Manchester United possible starting lineup:
De Gea; Dalot, Varane, Maguire, Shaw; McTominay, Fred; Rashford, Fernandes, Sancho; Ronaldo
Leicester City possible starting lineup:
Schmeichel; Fofana, Evans, Soyuncu; Justin, Dewsbury-Hall, Tielemans, Castagne; Maddison, Daka, Barnes
We say: Manchester United 2-1 Leicester City
There is no downplaying the importance of this match to Man United; it is a must-win fixture for the Red Devils in their battle to secure a top-four spot, and we are expecting the home side to triumph. Leicester have enough quality to find the back of the net, but we are backing Rangnick's team to edge a tight contest.
