Preview: Manchester United v Stoke City; Kick-off: January 15, 20:00; Venue: Old Trafford; Referee: Anthony Taylor
Manchester United will resume their 2017-18 Premier League campaign with a home game against struggling Stoke City on January 15.
The Red Devils have spent the last week in Dubai on a warm-weather training camp, and should be refreshed by the time that they take to the field for their first Premier League match since New Year’s Day.
Three successive draws with Leicester City, Burnley and Southampton over the festive break saw United concede more ground on runaway leaders Manchester City, but Jose Mourinho’s side returned to winning ways with a 2-0 success away to Everton on January 1.
It was a result that allowed the 20-time English champions to move back above Chelsea into second position, and that stands entering this weekend’s round of fixtures. Fifteen points still separate United and City, however, and the Citizens will have the chance to further stretch that advantage when they travel to Liverpool on Sunday afternoon.
United were in FA Cup action on January 5, with a 2-0 home win over Derby County booking their spot in round four. Mourinho’s side will visit Yeovil Town in the next round on January 26, and that competition has become more important this season due to City’s lead at the top of the Premier League table.
Champions League football will also return next month, with United visiting Sevilla in the first leg of their last-16 tie on February 21. The Red Devils will fancy their chances of beating the inconsistent La Liga outfit over two legs, but there are some very strong teams in the European competition this season.
If nothing else, United have to keep City honest in their pursuit of the league leaders. Stoke should be dispatched on Monday, and the Red Devils will look to gain some revenge on Burnley – who drew 2-2 at Old Trafford on Boxing Day – when they travel to Turf Moor on January 20.
There is also the small matter of a trip to Tottenham Hotspur at the end of this month, before hosting Huddersfield Town at the start of February. The title might be gone, but it is vital that Mourinho’s side stay above reigning champions Chelsea and an improving Liverpool team.
Mourinho has been quick to deny reports that he could walk away from United at the end of this season, and he was full of smiles at his press conference on Friday afternoon. A recharge week is just what United needed at this stage of the campaign, and they should now be ready for the next couple of months.
Manchester United will welcome a Stoke team that sacked head coach Mark Hughes following the 2-1 defeat at Coventry Town in the FA Cup last weekend. Five defeats in seven Premier League matches had seen the Potters drop into the relegation zone, and the loss to League Two opposition proved to be the final straw.
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First-team coach Eddie Niedzwiecki is currently in charge of affairs after Hughes’ assistant Mark Bowen also left the club. Republic of Ireland boss Martin O’Neill has been linked with the vacant position, and it is thought that a new head coach will soon be appointed.
Stoke will enter this match off the back of successive Premier League defeats to Chelsea and Newcastle United – where they conceded six times and failed to score. They sit 18th on 20 points, but are only actually three points from 12th position, which is an indication of the state of affairs in the bottom half of the division.
The omens are not great for Stoke when considering that they have the worst away record in the top flight this season – winning just one and losing seven of their 11 fixtures on the road. It has been a very poor campaign for the Potters, but they do boast a strong recent record against United.
Indeed, each of the last three Premier League meetings between these two teams have finished level – including a 2-2 draw at the Bet365 Stadium earlier this season. United have actually only won one of their last six league fixtures with Stoke, and the points were shared in a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford last season.
Team news
United will again be without the services of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Michael Carrick and Eric Bailly, while Ashley Young is still unavailable as the Englishman serves the final match of his three-game suspension.
Romelu Lukaku returned from a head injury off the bench against Derby last time out, and the Belgian will come back into the XI at centre-forward. In-form Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard will join him, while Juan Mata is expected to get the nod over Marcus Rashford on the right of the attack.
Stand-in captain Antonio Valencia is also available after recovering from a hamstring problem, and the 32-year-old could be joined at the back by Phil Jones and Chris Smalling.
As for Stoke, the Potters announced the signing of Moritz Bauer from Rubin Kazan on Tuesday, and the Austrian international is in line to make his debut for the club at Old Trafford.
Ryan Shawcross and Glen Johnson remain on the sidelines, but Erik Pieters and Bruno Martins Indi both trained on Thursday, and Stoke Under-18s boss Kevin Russell revealed during his press conference that the pair could return at Old Trafford.
Darren Fletcher is expected to come into the middle of the midfield, while Peter Crouch, Xherdan Shaqiri and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting should continue in the final third for the visitors.
Expected starting lineups
United: De Gea; Valencia, Jones, Smalling, Shaw; Matic, Pogba; Martial, Lingard, Mata; Lukaku
Stoke: Butland; Edwards, Zouma, Wimmer, Pieters; Allen, Cameron, Fletcher; Shaqiri, Crouch, Choupo-Moting
Did you know?
United have won 40 of their previous 59 Premier League matches on a Monday, although they have not played a competitive match on that particular day since last March.
Prediction
A number of Stoke’s players will have a point to prove following the dismissal of Hughes. Too many have underperformed this season, and it might well turn out to be a bad time to play the Potters from United’s point of view.
Mourinho’s side will be recharged following a week in Dubai, however, and the Red Devils should have more than enough to make it back-to-back wins in the Premier League.
Score prediction: Manchester United 3-0 Stoke City
