Last Word on Football brings you the latest team news and confirmed lineups ahead of Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League. Both sides head into this fixture desperate to kickstart their seasons, with United currently three points ahead of Spurs, who sit at the bottom of the table without a league win.
Michael Carrick has endured an inconsistent start as permanent Manchester United boss, picking up wins against Ipswich Town and Sabah FK but struggling to make an impact in the Premier League. Draws against Everton and Fulham, alongside defeats to Hull City and Manchester City, mean the Red Devils sit 15th in the table with five points from five matches.
Tottenham have found life even more difficult this season, scoring just two goals and collecting two points from their opening five games. Both points came in goalless draws against Nottingham Forest and Everton. Defeats to Brentford, Newcastle United and Aston Villa have left Spurs still searching for their first league win, something Roberto De Zerbi will be desperate to change at Old Trafford this weekend.
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Manchester United vs Tottenham: Team News for Premier League Clash
Manchester United Team News
Carrick has been dealt a blow during the international break after left-back Patrick Dorgu picked up an injury while representing Denmark. The United boss confirmed that the defender will be out for “a number of weeks”.
This comes as Benjamin Sesko remains sidelined, while Noussair Mazraoui is a doubt after picking up a knock on international duty. However, Carrick confirmed that Amad Diallo, Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo have returned to training after being doubts for the fixture.
In more positive news, summer signing Carlos Baleba has trained throughout the international break as he approaches the fitness levels required to make his debut. He could therefore feature against Spurs on Saturday.
Carrick will consequently have to rely largely on players who have featured regularly during the opening weeks of the campaign as United look to secure their second league win of the season.
Tottenham Hotspur Team News
De Zerbi has confirmed that both Micky van de Ven and Jan Paul van Hecke are available for the trip to Old Trafford after being forced off with knocks while representing the Netherlands during the international break.
The Italian also confirmed that Pedro Porro and deadline-day signing Mykhailo Mudryk will miss the fixture due to injuries sustained before the break. James Maddison has missed some training sessions but remains available for the trip to Manchester.
Dejan Kulusevski will travel with the Tottenham squad after returning to full training, although it is still slightly too soon for the Swede to make his long-awaited return from injury.
Meanwhile, Xavi Simons and Wilson Odobert continue their recoveries from ACL injuries, while Richarlison remains unavailable after being excluded from the Premier League squad.
Manchester United Confirmed Lineup
Starting XI: Lammens, Maguire, Martinez, B. Fernandes (C), Cunha, Yoro, Amad, Tielemans, Mbeumo, Shaw, Mainoo.
Subs: Darlow, Dalot, Heaven, Andrey Santos, Baleba, Mount, Lacey, Rashford, Zirkzee.
Tottenham Hotspur Confirmed Lineup
Starting XI: Kinsky, Senesi, Van Hecke, Gallagher, Udogie, Gray, Bergvall, Tonali, Savio, Solanke (C), Kudus.
Subs: Dubravka, Tosin, Maddison, Tel, Fernandes, Marmoush, Bentancur, Davies, Van de Ven.
The Last Word: Prediction
With both teams in need of a victory, this could be a tense encounter with neither side wanting to take unnecessary risks that could prove costly.
United have the ability to cause problems for any opponent and could look to exploit Tottenham’s vulnerabilities. However, Spurs have created plenty of chances during their opening fixtures but have struggled to find the back of the net.
With both sides missing key players, this looks like a close contest that is difficult to call. A score draw is certainly a plausible outcome.
Prediction: Manchester United 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur
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