With their European campaign for this year hanging in the balance following a narrow defeat to Barcelona on Wednesday, Manchester United must now return their attention to securing their place in the continent's most prestigious competition when they host West Ham on Saturday.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side have been unable to recapture the first flush of form shown when the Norwegian took the reins since his appointment as the full-time manager at Old Trafford, with four losses in five now jepordising both his international and domestic concerns after suffering a Champions League reverse against Ernesto Valverde's side.
The Red Devils sit three points off the pace of fourth-place Tottenham in the Premier League with Arsenal also sandwiched in between them and the Champions League qualification places.
Manuel Pellegrini's Hammers will also be looking to secure a return to winning ways however when they travel north having lost their last two games , meaning that it will be no easy task for the hosts as they hope to keep pace with the rest of the pack.
| Game | Manchester United vs West Ham |
| Date | Saturday, April 13 |
| Time | 5:30pm BST / 12:30pm EST |
| Stream ( |
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
In the United States (US), the game can
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| US TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| NBC / Telemundo Deportes En Vivo | fubo TV (7-day free trial) |
In the United Kingdom (UK), the game will be broadcast on BT Sport 1 and BT Sport 4K UHD. It can be streamed via BT Sport Live.
| UK TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| BT Sport 1 / BT Sport 4K UHD | BT Sport Live |
Squads & Team News
| Position | Man United players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | De Gea, Grant, Romero |
| Defenders | Lindelof, Smalling, Rojo, Dalot |
| Midfielders | Pogba, Fred, Matic, McTominay, Pereira, Mata, Herrera, Lingard |
| Forwards | Lukaku, Rashford, Martial |
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is without Ashley Young and Luke Shaw, with his defensive pair out through suspension.
Alexis Sanchez is also yet to recover from a knee injury sustained in early March, though he is approaching a return to competitive action.
Man Utd starting XI: De Gea, Jones, Smalling, Dalot, Rojo, Pogba, Mata, Lingard, Fred, Martial, Lukaku.
Subs: Romero, Darmian, Lindelof, Andreas, McTominay, Greenwood, Rashford.
| Position | West Ham squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Fabianski, Adrian |
| Defenders | Cresswell, Balbuena, Zabaleta, Ogbonna, Diop, Fredericks, Masuaku |
| Midfielders | Anderson, Lanzini, Snodgrass, Obiang, Sanchez, Noble, Rice, Antonio, Diangana, Johnson, Coventry, Holland |
| Forwards | Arnautovic, Chicharito, Perez, Silva |
Manuel Pellegrini has been handed a further double injury blow with Andy Carroll and Samir Nasri missing out on the trip to Old Trafford.
They join Winston Reid and Jack Wilshire, among others, on the sidelines for an unspecified period.
West Ham starting XI: Fabianski, Zabaleta, Ogbonna, Balbuana, Masuaku, Rice, Noble, Lanzini, Anderson, Snodgrass, Hernandez.
Subs: Adrian, Diop, Fredericks, Obiang, Diangana, Holland, Antonio.
Betting & Match Odds
United are odds-on favourites to win at the price of 2/5 with bet365 . West Ham meanwhile are 15/2 outsiders, while a draw can be backed at 17/4.
Match Preview
Getty Images
Manchester United will be determined to answer their critics in the wake of their Champions League defeat to Barcelona as they prepare to warm up for one of their biggest matches in recent history with the Premier League visit of West Ham.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side were edged out in the first leg of their quarter-final clash with Ernesto Valverde’s men following a Luke Shaw own goal in the 12th minute .
For the most part, the Red Devils nullified their visitors but were unable to find a score of their own, setting up another difficult reverse fixture at Camp Nou.
Though United managed to rewrite history in the previous round with their comeback win over Paris Saint-Germain, they know that they will face a herculean task to reach the final four.
If they fail to ultimately prevail in Europe too, then they will need to secure a top four spot in the Premier League to regain entry to the continent’s most prestigious competition for next season – and their current form bodes less than well.
With four defeats in his last five games, Solskjaer will hope that the visit of Manuel Pellegrini’s Hammers presents a good chance to readdress the current disparity in results.
Former Red Devils star Dimitar Berbatov admitted that there had been something of a recent dip but stressed that it was nothing for the club to be worried about .
“I'm told it's now four defeats in five for Ole Gunnar Solsjkaer but absolutely no concerns from me on that, it's absurd to even suggest there would be,” the former striker stated earlier this week.
West Ham too will be looking to pick up three more points and curtail their own losing streak that has seen them lose two on the trot to Everton and Chelsea .
The Irons are effectively clear of any realistic relegation prospects and will hope that victory can help propel them towards a domestic top ten finish.
