Manchester United look to pick up where they left off in the Premier League on Tuesday night when the 20-time champions host Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford.
Date/Time : Monday 26 December, 21:00 CET
Referee: Anthony Taylor
The Red Devils beat Fulham 2-1 in their final league game on 13 November, while Forest had already won before their World Cup campaign was suspended, defeating Crystal Palace 1-0 at home.
Manchester United returned to the competition on Wednesday night with a 2-0 win over leaders Burnley at Old Trafford to progress to the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup.
Christian Eriksen and Marcus Rashford scored for the Red Devils, who drew at Charlton Athletic in the Round of 16, so a place in the semi-finals of the competition is certainly open for them.
Manchester United beat Fulham 2-1 in their last Premier League fixture, with 20-time English champions Alejandro Garnacho leaving them fifth in the table, three points off fourth. Tottenham Hotspur with a game in hand over the North London club.
The Red Devils have two league games before the end of the year, with the next game away at Wolverhampton Wanderers on December 31st before they open 2023 at home to Bournemouth.
Manchester United have only lost once in the Premier League since the start of October and there have certainly been plenty of bright spots this season under Erik ten Hag.
The Red Devils face Forest for the first time since their 8-1 Premier League victory in 1998-99, while the Reds have not beaten Man United since December 1994.
Forest was also involved in the EFL Cup last week and progressed to the quarter-finals of the competition thanks to a 4-1 win over Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park.
Steve Cooper’s side last played in the Premier League on 12 November, beating Palace 1-0 at the City Ground. Morgan Gibbs-White scored the only goal of the match in the 54th minute.
Forest have lost just one of their last five league games, including a 1-0 win over Liverpool on 22 October, and are currently in 18th place with 13 points from their first 15 games.
The Reds are expected to be in a relegation battle this season despite down to 21 players in the summer, although they could still improve their squad in the January transfer window.
Forest have the worst away record in the Premier League this season, picking up just two points from seven games, conceding 19 goals and scoring just once, a sign of their duty ahead of Tuesday’s clash with Ten Hag.
Manchester United will again be without the services of Axel Tuanzebe due to injury, while Diogo Dalot remains in doubt due to the problems contracted in the quarter-finals of the World Cup in Portugal, against Morocco.
The red devils have problems in the center of the defense, with Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane being the two big doubts for the World Cup final, while Harry Maguire is indisposed.
Maguire could recover to partner Victor Lindelof in central defence, while Aaron Wan-Bissaka could play only his second game of the season at right-back.
Antony came off the bench against Burnley and could now start here, possibly at Garnacho’s expense, with Bruno Fernandes, Rashford and Anthony Martial also playing in defence.
Jadon Sancho, on the other hand, remains a big question mark as he continues to follow a fitness program.
As for Forest, Dean Henderson is unfit to face his parent club, while Serge Aurier, Gibbs-White and Wayne Hennessey all face late fitness tests.
Omar Richards, Giulian Biancone, Cheikhou Kouyate and Moussa Niakhate will certainly not be available for selection at Old Trafford due to injuries.
Jesse Lingard is likely to play against his former club, while Brennan Johnson and Taiwo Awoniyi could start if Gibbs-White fails to prove his fitness before kick-off at Old Trafford.
Teams Forms:
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Manchester United form (all competitions):
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Nottingham Forest Premier League form:
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Chelsea vs Bournemouth: Key stats
- Bournemouth have incredibly won three of their last five league games at Chelsea
- Chelsea have failed to score more than one goal in each of their past five league matches – the last time they did so for six consecutive league games was in January 2021
Manchester United (4-3-3):
De Gea (GK) – Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Casemiro, Shaw , Fred, Eriksen, Fernandes , Rashford, Martial, Elanga
Nottingham Forest (4-3-3):
Smith (GK) -Williams, Worrell, Boly, Toffolo , Freuler, O’Brien, Mangala , Lingard, Awoniyi, Johnson