Manchester United will be aiming to return to winning ways when they welcome Newcastle United to Old Trafford in the Premier League on Monday night, with the Red Devils bidding to end a difficult year on a positive note.
The Red Devils, who are 14th in the Premier League table, will enter the contest off the back of a 2-0 defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers, while fifth-placed Newcastle were 3-0 winners over Aston Villa at St James' Park last time out.
Match preview
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Ruben Amorim insisted after the two-goal loss to Wolves on Boxing Day that he is not immune to the sack, and the fact that the Portuguese's future at the club is already being discussed at this stage is an indication of the ongoing circus at Old Trafford.
In truth, there is no chance of Amorim losing his job unless something drastic happens in the coming months, but the Red Devils are currently being mentioned as potential candidates for relegation, as there are not many sides in the division performing worse at this moment in time.
The 20-time English champions have lost their last three matches against Tottenham Hotspur, Bournemouth and Wolves, with the team failing to build on their 2-1 success over Manchester City in the Manchester derby in the middle of the month.
Man United have dropped down to 14th spot in the Premier League table, picking up just 22 points from 18 matches, which has left them eight points outside of the relegation zone and 12 points behind fourth-placed Nottingham Forest.
The team's only chance of claiming Champions League football for next season will come through the Europa League, and that competition will become even more important if Man United lose to Arsenal in the third round of the FA Cup next month.
Man United have only picked up 13 points from their nine home Premier League matches this season, but Newcastle have also been inconsistent on their travels, winning three, drawing three and losing three of their nine league fixtures away from St James' Park.
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The hosts are looking over their shoulder, but Newcastle will have their eyes on the top four, with the Magpies currently sitting fifth in the division, picking up 29 points from their opening 18 matches of the campaign.
Eddie Howe's side are only five points behind fourth-placed Forest, boasting a record of eight wins, five draws and five defeats in the Premier League this season, while they have scored 30 times, which is nine more than Man United.
Newcastle have won each of their last four matches in all competitions, including their last three in the league against Leicester City, Ipswich Town and Aston Villa, scoring 11 times in the process and conceding zero, which is an indication of the size of Man United's task at Old Trafford.
The Magpies are not playing European football this season, but they are in the semi-finals of the EFL Cup, with the first leg of their last-four affair against Arsenal set to take place at the Emirates Stadium on January 7.
Newcastle have won two of their last three Premier League matches against Man United, but they suffered a 3-2 loss at Old Trafford in the reverse fixture during the 2023-24 campaign.
Man United have lost just one of their last 39 home league games against Newcastle, meanwhile, winning 28 times in the process, with their only defeat in that run proving to be a 1-0 reverse in December 2013 under David Moyes.
Team News
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Man United will be without the services of both Bruno Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte on Monday through suspension, with the former sent off against Wolves, while the latter picked up a milestone yellow card.
Mason Mount, Victor Lindelof and Luke Shaw are injured, but the Red Devils did not suffer any fresh fitness problems at Molineux, with all five of the changes that occurred in the two-goal loss proving to be tactical substitutions.
Harry Maguire is being tipped to captain the side in Fernandes' absence, so Matthijs de Ligt may continue on the bench, as he works his way back from a recent illness, while Casemiro and Alejandro Garnacho could be the two to benefit from the team's two suspensions.
Garnacho is yet to start despite being dropped from the squad for the Manchester derby, but the Argentina international could now be brought back into the starting XI for the contest with the Magpies.
Marcus Rashford was again left out of the squad against Wolves, and it appears unlikely that the England international will return for the clash with the Magpies, with a January departure seen as probable.
As for Newcastle, Callum Wilson, Jamaal Lascelles, Nick Pope and Emil Krafth remain unavailable for selection, while Sven Botman is still not ready for a first-team appearance, but the centre-back has made excellent progress in his recovery from a serious knee injury.
Tino Livramento missed the win over Villa due to illness, but Howe is expecting the full-back to be available for the clash at Old Trafford, which will lead to Kieran Trippier dropping down to the bench.
Alexander Isak has scored 12 times in 19 appearances this season, and the Sweden international will once again lead the line, while Jacob Murphy and Anthony Gordon are also set to feature in the final third of the field.
Manchester United possible starting lineup:
Onana; Yoro, Maguire, Martinez; Mazraoui, Casemiro, Mainoo, Dalot; Amad, Hojlund, Garnacho
Newcastle United possible starting lineup:
Dubravka; Livramento, Schar, Burn, Hall; Guimaraes, Tonali, Joelinton; J Murphy, Isak, Gordon
We say: Manchester United 2-2 Newcastle United
Man United can lean on a strong home record against Newcastle, and it would not be a shock to see the Red Devils win on Monday evening, as they are due a strong performance. Newcastle are in excellent form, though, and we are expecting the Magpies to be good enough for at least a point in their final match of 2024.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Matt Law
