Manchester United will get their Europa League campaign underway against Kazakhstani champions Astana at Old Trafford on Thursday evening.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side have struggled in the Premier League, registering just one win in their last four matches, and will welcome the opportunity to bolster squad momentum with an emphatic European victory over the hosts.
Astana, however, will not take the game lightly, having dominated Kazakhstan since 2014 and winning a record five consecutive domestic league titles.
| Game | Manchester United vs Astana |
| Date | Thursday, September 19 |
| Time | 8:00pm BST / 3:00pm ET |
| Stream (US) | fubo TV (7-day free trial) |
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
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In the United States (US), the game can be watched live and on-demand with fuboTV (7-day free trial).
Next Match
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| US TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| Galavision | fubo TV (7-day free trial) |
In the UK, the match will be shown on BT Sport 2 and can be streamed via BT Sport Live.
| UK TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| BT Sport 2 | BT Sport Live |
Squads & Team News
| Position | Man Utd squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | De Gea, Grant, Romero, J.Pereira |
| Defenders | Wan-Bissaka, Jones, Lindelof, Rojo, Smalling, Tuanzebe, Young, Maguire |
| Midfielders | Mata, Lingard, A. Pereira, Fred, Matic, McTominay, Gomes, Garner, Chong |
| Forwards | Rashford, Greenwood |
The likes of Luke Shaw and Eric Bailly are sure to be missing the clash due to fitness, while Paul Pogba, Anthony Martial and Diogo Dalot are all doubts.
Daniel James will be unavailable through injury.
"He got a knock against Leicester so he won't be available," Solskjaer said of James.
"We're getting some back and losing some, so that's just the way it is."
Confirmed Man Utd starting XI: Romero, Tuanzebe, Jones, Rojo, Dalot, Fred, Matic, Gomes, Greenwood, Chong, Rashford.
| Position | Astana squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Eric, Mokin, Pavlov |
| Defenders | Rukavina, Tomasevic, Beysebekov, Simunovic, Logvinenko, Postnikov |
| Midfielders | Muzhikov, Sigurjonsson, Tomasov, Maevski, Pertsukh, Skvortsov, Zhalmukan, Shomko |
| Forwards | Rotariu, Mubele, Janga, Murtazayev, Prokopenko, Karimov, Khizhnichenko |
Astana have no injury concerns ahead of game.
They will be able to call on the services of Zarko Tomasevic, having missed out on Sunday's win over Shakhter Karagandy due to suspension.
Confirmed Astana starting XI: Eric, Rukavina, Postnikov, Tomasevic, Shomko, Tomasov, Maevski, Simunovic, Sigurjonsson, Rotariu, Murtazayev.
Betting & Match Odds
Man Utd are 1/5 favourites with bet365. Astana are on offer to win the game at 16/1, while a draw is priced at 11/2.
Match Preview
After United squandered their hopes of Champions League qualification last season with a disappointing sixth-placed finish, expectations will be on the Red Devils to win the Europa League in order to secure re-entry into Europe's premier competition.
Solskjaer's team have been handed the perfect opportunity to re-state their intent for the season with a promising display against the Kazakhstan champions, who were only founded in 2009.
Man Utd are not favourites to finish above the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool in the Premier League this season, with rivals Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham also battling for a top-four spot – so winning the Europa League would be Solskjaer's best bet of Champions League participation.
Getty Images
It will also be an opportunity for the Red Devils boss to give his youth players some exposure, confirming that both Mason Greenwood and Axel Tuanzebe will start.
Tahith Chong is in an option to play on either the left or right wing, while James Garner and Angel Gomes also joined first-team training on Wednesday and will be optimistic for some time off the bench.
"It's a process," Solskjaer said on Wednesday about whether or not playing young players would be regarded as a risk.
"It's for them to grow as players and human beings, and being robust enough to go out at Old Trafford. You've got to get results and if you don't throw them in, you don't know what you've got. I don't see any other way of doing this, I've always done it wherever I've been. That's my belief as a coach: to give a chance, an opportunity."
