Misfiring Manchester United host Burnley at Old Trafford on Wednesday as they look to recover quickly from defeat to league leaders Liverpool.
It’s been a tough season for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and United with the Red Devils looking well out of contention for the top four this season. The weekend’s defeat to Liverpool epitomised United’s defensive frailties.
Burnley on the other hand put to bed a bad run of form with a shock comeback victory against Champions League chasing Leicester at Turf Moor. The currently dwell in the bottom half of the table but will be confident they can pull off an upset at Old Trafford.
Here, 90min previews their clash in Manchester.
Where to Watch
| When Is Kick Off? | Wednesday 22nd January |
| What Time Is Kick Off? | 20:15 (GMT) |
| Where Is it Played? | Old Trafford |
| TV Channel/Live Stream? | BT Sport 1 |
| Referee? | Jonathan Moss |
Team News
Manchester United find themselves without top goalscorer Marcus Rashford as he faces up to three months out with a double stress fracture in his back. Meanwhile, Paul Pogba remains sidelined until the end of this month as he recovers from a reoccurring ankle injury.
Scott McTominay is also unavailable until the end of February as he continues his rehabilitation from a knee injury. Victor Lindelof is a doubt as a result of illness.
Burnley’s only injury concern is that of winger Johann Berg Gudmundsson, as he recovers from a thigh strain he picked up at the beginning of the month. Other than that, Burnley have a fully fit squad to choose from.
Predicted Lineups
| Manchester United | De Gea; Wan Bissaka, Bailly, Maguire, Williams; Matic, Fred, James; Mata; Greenwood, Martial. |
| Sheffield United | Pope; Bardsley, Mee, Tarkowski; Taylor, McNeil, Westwood, Cork, Hendrick; Wood, Barnes. |
Head-to-Head Record
These sides have met 129 times with the Red Devils coming out on top 62 times compared to Burnley’s respectable 44. Manchester United have definitely had the better of the two sides in recent years having won three of the last five with the other two both finishing 2-2.
United have kept clean sheets in each of those three victories and will be hoping to add another one on Wednesday night.
Recent Form
The Red Devils' form in recent weeks has been indifferent, having secured two wins, two draws and a disappointing defeat in their last five. A convincing 4-0 win at home to Norwich followed by a tight 1-0 win in the FA Cup against Wolves suggested they might have been beginning to turn a corner. However, a 2-0 defeat away to league leaders Liverpool emphasised their vulnerabilities.
Burnley will be hoping their win last time out at home to Leicester can be the start of a real turnaround in form having suffered defeat three times in their last five matches. A 4-2 win to progress in the FA Cup against Peterborough had been the only thing for the fans to cheer about, coming off the back of home defeats to Burnley and United themselves.
Here’s how each team has fared in their last five games.
| Manchester United | Burnley |
| Liverpool 2-0 Man United (19/1) | Sheffield United 2-1 Leicester City (19/1) |
| Man United 1-0 Wolves (15/1) | Chelsea 3-0 Burnley (11/1) |
| Man United 4-0 Norwich (11/1) | Burnley 4-2 Peterborough (4/1) |
| Man United 1-3 Man City (7/1) | Burnley 1-2 Aston Villa (1/1) |
| Wolves 0-0 Man Utd (4/1) | Burnley 0-2 Manchester United (28/12) |
Prediction
Despite United’s poor form, they should still prove to be too strong for a Burnley side trying to turn their form around. Rashford will be a desperate miss for Solskjaer’s side but the likes of Martial and Mason Greenwood should be enough to get the job done. Their defensive issues will likely be exposed again though.
Manchester United 2-1 Burnley
Source : 90min