Team news, stats and prediction ahead of Man Utd vs West Ham in the Premier League on Saturday; kick-off 3pm.
Team news
Manchester United interim boss Ralf Rangnick confirmed Victor Lindelof will not be involved against West Ham in order to be with his family after their home was broken into on Wednesday night.
The Sweden international played the entirety of United’s 3-1 win at Brentford, with wife Maja Nilsson Lindelof saying she hid in a room with her kids before they entered the house.
Jadon Sancho may also be missing against West Ham having been given compassionate leave following a bereavement.
West Ham duo Tomas Soucek and Kurt Zouma will undergo late fitness assessments before being given the green light to feature at Old Trafford.
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Czech Republic midfielder Soucek missed the Hammers’ matches against Norwich and Leeds after testing positive for coronavirus but has returned to training this week, while Zouma (hamstring) has not featured since December’s 3-2 victory over Chelsea.
Said Benrahma could feature after returning from the Africa Cup of Nations following Algeria’s elimination, but club captain Mark Noble (knee) remains out.
How to follow
Follow Man Utd vs West Ham in our dedicated live match blog. Highlights will also be published on the Sky Sports digital platforms and the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel from 5.15pm on Saturday.
Last time out…
Opta stats
Manchester United have won 20 of their 25 Premier League home games against West Ham (D3 L2) and are unbeaten in their last 13 against them at Old Trafford since a 1-0 loss in May 2007.
This is just the fifth time in Premier League history West Ham are facing Manchester United while above them in the table, with the Hammers failing to win any of the previous such games; 1-2 in August 1995, 0-0 in August 1998, 1-2 in September 2014 and 1-3 in December 2020.
Having lost their first home Premier League match of 2022 against Wolves, Manchester United are looking to avoid losing their first two home league games in a year for the first time since 1985, when they lost to Sheffield Wednesday and Coventry City under Ron Atkinson.
Manchester United have lost their last two Premier League games kicking off at 3pm on Saturday, going down 4-2 against Leicester and 4-1 against Watford this season. The Red Devils have never lost three consecutive matches in this kick-off slot in the competition before.
Former Manchester United manager David Moyes has never won an away Premier League match against the Red Devils in 14 attempts (D4 L10), with only Harry Redknapp managing more games at Old Trafford without winning in the Premier League era (15 games).
Cristiano Ronaldo has been involved in seven goals in his last five Premier League appearances against West Ham (6 goals, 1 assist), with these involvements accounting for 70% of the total goals Manchester United have scored in these games (7/10).
Premier League Preview: Conte’s Spurs to crack Chelsea code? Man Utd momentum? Watford-Norwich six-pointer
The Essential Football Podcast returns as host Alice Piper is joined by Charlotte Marsh and Ben Grounds to preview another captivating round of Premier League games which could have ramifications at both ends of the table.
PART ONE | After their dramatic, late victory at Leicester, the panel assess whether Antonio Conte’s Tottenham can crack the Stamford Bridge code and haul Chelsea back into the wide open race for the top four
PART TWO | Cristiano Ronaldo’s tantrum stole the headlines but having bounced back at Brentford have Ralf Rangnick and Man Utd built enough momentum to capitalise on the West Ham fragilities exposed by Leeds and boost their top-four chances? Plus: with an 11-point lead at the summit, can champions Man City afford to take their foot of the gas at Southampton?
PART THREE | An archetypal relegation six-pointer kicks off the Premier League weekend as Watford host Norwich on Friday – but which club is best placed to seize the initiative? Plus: tasked with steadying the ship for the second time in three years, can Duncan Ferguson galvanise Everton ahead of the visit of Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa?