Teams: Manchester United, Newcastle United
Date: Saturday 11th September
KO Time: 3:00 pm (BST), 7:30 pm (IST)
Competition: Premier League
Stadium: Old Trafford
Managers: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Steve Bruce
Referee: Anthony Taylor

Manchester United will be looking forward to continue their good start to the season, after cementing their place in the Top 4 before the international break. Furthermore, Cristiano Ronaldo is all set to make his second debut for the club against Newcastle, and the fans can’t wait to see the Portugese back in red.

Tipped for relegation, Newcastle are desperately in need of some good results as they’ve managed only 1 point from their initial 3 games. Joe Willock’s permanent return to the club may sort out their attacking dilemma, however their woeful defense continues to be a concern for Steve Bruce.

Team News

Lots Positives for Manchester United

Solskjaer confirmed in his pre-match press conference that Ronaldo will definitely feature against Newcastle. “Everyone is very happy to have him [Ronaldo] back, the mood has been very good. We are looking forward to Saturday of course.” Solskjaer said.

United will most likely be without Fred, after the Brazilian FA asked FIFA to block Premier League clubs from selecting Brazilian players from September 10-14.

Moreover, Jadon Sancho, Scott McTominay, Dean Henderson, and Alex Telles have all returned to training. But, their availability remains uncertain due to their respective injuries.

Worry for Newcastle

The Magpies’ hopes of causing an upset at Old Trafford have been dealt with a massive injury blow. Their star talisman Callum Wilson and midfielder Ryan Fraser have been ruled out for the game due to injuries.

“Callum won’t make the weekend, unfortunately, he picked up a thigh injury, a muscle strain. Ryan Fraser won’t make it either he has twisted an ankle. We don’t think it’s as bad as what photographs have made out with him in a boot. It was only precautionary, but he won’t be ready for the weekend either.” Steve Bruce told in the press conference.

Goalkeeper Karl Darlow’s fitness will be assessed in the final 24 hours, as he is recovering from Covid-19.

Interesting Facts

• Manchester United have just lost 1 of their last 36 Premier League home games against Newcastle (W26, D9).
• Mason Greenwood could become just the 4th teenager to score in 4 consecutive Premier League appearances.
• Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 48 hat-tricks in his club career, the first of them was against Newcastle in January 2008.

Predicted Lineups for Man Utd vs Newcastle

Manchester United (4-2-3-1): De Gea; Shaw, Maguire, Varane, Wan-Bissaka; Matic, van de Beek; Pogba, Fernandes, Greenwood; Ronaldo.

Newcastle (5-3-2): Woodman; Ritchie, Lascelles, Schär, Fernandez, Murphy; Shelvey, Hayden, Willock; Saint-Maximin, Wilson.

Predicted Score: 3-1 to Manchester United.

With the presence of Cristiano Ronaldo in a fully packed Old Trafford stadium, United won’t be looking to drop any points. However, it would be key to get the first goal, as Newcastle have enough depth in quality to punish the Reds while going forward.