Manchester United head into their home clash with Fulham on Saturday in desperate need of three points having failed to win a Premier League game in five weeks.
Having lost to Manchester City in mid-November, they have since drawn three successive matches in the league and now sit eight points adrift of the top four as the festive season fast approaches.
But under-pressure manager Jose Mourinho will be hoping his side make the most of the visit of Claudio Ranieri's Cottagers, who are bottom of the table with just two wins to their name from their first 15 games of the campaign.
Man Utd Injuries
Mourinho still has some question marks over defenders despite having seen Chris Smalling and Eric Bailly return from injury against Arsenal in midweek.
Luke Shaw was an absentee on Wednesday having limped out of the 2-2 draw with Southampton, while Marcos Rojo was replaced 71 minutes into his first appearance of the season against the Gunners.
Victor Lindelof remains out with a groin problem, also reducing options defensively.
Further up the field, Alexis Sanchez is missing until the New Year due to a torn hamstring.
Man Utd Suspensions
Ashley Young returns to the matchday squad having sat out a one-match ban for five yellow cards when Arsenal visited on Wednesday, while Nemanja Matic is walking a disciplinary tightrope having himself collected four bookings so far this term. Aleksandar Mitrovic is in a similar position to his countryman, meaning a caution for the Fulham front man would rule him out of the home fixture against West Ham next weekend.
Man Utd Starting Line-Up
There are likely to be changes again for the most-rotated squad in the Premier League this season, with Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku in contention to start after being reduced to substitute roles against Arsenal.
Ashley Young should return, while the availability of Luke Shaw will dictate whether Diogo Dalot gets a second league start in the red shirt.
Ander Herrera may retain his shirt in the first XI, although Pogba, Marouane Fellaini and Fred could all be considered.
Fulham Team News
Kevin MacDonald and Floyd Ayite are likely to remain sidelined for the visit to Old Trafford, with both having missed the midweek draw with Leicester. MacDonald has now been out for over a month with hamstring trouble, while for Ayite it is a recent groin problem which leaves him unlikely to face United.
Claudio Ranieri will be hoping to build on his positive start to life at Craven Cottage by gaining a result in Manchester. The Italian, who won the Premier League with Leicester in 2016 only to be sacked just nine months later, took over from the fired Slavisa Jokanovic in November and has since led the Whites to one win, one draw and one reverse in three games in charge.
TV Channel & Kick-off time
The match at Old Trafford kicks off at 3pm GMT and 10am ET on Saturday, with no live coverage available in the UK. In the US the game will be shown on NBCSN.
Best Opta Match facts
- Manchester United and Fulham last met in February 2014 in the Premier League – a 2-2 draw in which the Cottagers equalised in the 90th minute via Darren Bent.
- Fulham have lost 21 of their last 23 away matches against Manchester United in all competitions (W1 D1) – their only win in this sequence was a 3-1 victory in the Premier League in October 2003.
- In their last meeting in February 2014, Manchester United produced a tally of 81 crosses against Fulham – the most in a Premier League match since the 2003-04 campaign.
- Manchester United have made 46 changes to their starting XI overall this season; including seven in their midweek draw with Arsenal. No side have made as many as the Red Devils this season in the Premier League.
- Fulham are winless in 10 Premier League away games (D1 L9), losing their last six in a row. They last lost more consecutive away in the competition in March 2006 (8).
- This is the 10th meeting between Man Utd boss Jose Mourinho and Fulham’s Claudio Ranieri in all competitions – Mourinho has won his last three against the Italian since losing in his final match in charge of Chelsea in December 2015 against Leicester City.
- Fulham boss Claudio Ranieri could become only the third manager to win a Premier League game away at Old Trafford with two different clubs, after Martin O’Neill and Rafael Benitez.
- Jose Mourinho will look to seal his 50th Premier League victory as Manchester United manager in this game – his 92nd game in the competition at the Red Devils. He sealed his 50th Premier League win in his first spell at Chelsea in his 63rd game and in his 50th league win during his second spell at the Blues in his 73rd game.
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