Manchester United vs Fulham: Preview, expected lineup and more
Manchester United are coming off an inspiring 2-1 win at Luton, making it four straight wins in the English Premier League - the first since 2021. They will tackle Fulham at home in a traditional Saturday afternoon kick off.
Manchester United have not lost to Fulham since 2009, beating them 14 times and drawing 3 times on the trot since. Manchester is currently 6th on 44 points, which is five points behind 4th place Aston Villa. The once fortress has been in shambles in recent years and this season is no different,
Manchester United lay 9th in the table at home, winning 7, drawing 1 and losing 4 at Old Trafford. Only five teams have scored fewer goals at home than the Red Devils. However, Erik Ten Hag might be licking his chops as Fulham on the other hand has been very poor on the road, winning just once, drawing 4 and losing 7 times. Manchester United has not lost a single game in any competition since the start of the year, while Fulham has only won once during the same time.
Word out of the Red Devils camp is that Luke Shaw, who limped off in last Sunday’s game against Luton, is reportedly going to be out for the rest of the season. He apparently was rushed back for action after he was only able to manage 45 minutes in the previous game against Aston Villa. Manager Ten Hag admitted that “it's clear when you come off it doesn't look great”. The United boss named an unchanged team last weekend against Luton, only the second time that has happened all season. Aaron Wan- Bissaka and Tyrell Malacia are still out with injuries until early March; this means Ten Hag might opt for Victor Lindelof or Sofyan Amrabat to deputize in the position. Both players played cameo roles in the last game. Defender Willy Kambwala could be a useful choice in the position, but he is out on duties for the Under 21’s.
In a late blow for United, Rasmus Højlund picked up an injury in ‘high intensity training’, which means he will miss up to 3 weeks of action.
Similarly to Manchester United woes, Fulham will be without arguably one of their most valuable and inspirational players, Joao Palhinha. The Portugal international is a vital protector of the backline; he has made more tackles than anybody else in the top flight this season. He is out on accumulation of yellow cards, which will see him miss two games. The faithful Mexican Raul Jimenez is also out for a few days with a thigh problem. Manager Marco Silva might replace him with Armando Broja, on loan from Chelsea. Kenny Tete has shown great signs and might be up for selection. With three points up for grabs both teams will be going all guns blazing to take all three. The Premier League has always served up some surprises this might just be one the games with something to have the fans talking all weekend.
Date, kick-off time and venue:
Manchester United vs Fulham is scheduled for a 3pm GMT kick-off on Saturday, February 24, 2024.
The match will take place at Old Trafford.
Manchester United Predicted Lineup:
Manchester United Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Andre Onana; Diogo Dalot, Raphael Varane, Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof; Kobbie Mainoo, Casemiro; Marcus Rashford, Bruno Fernandes, Alejandro Garnacho; Omari Forson.
Fulham Predicted Lineup:
Fulham Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Leno; Timothy Castagne, Issa Diop, Tim Ream, Antonee Robinson; Tom Cairney, Tim Iroegbunam; Willian, Andreas Pereira, Bobby Reid; Rodrigo Muniz
Where to watch Man United vs Fulham:
TV channel: In the UK, the game will not be televised live as it lands during the 3pm Saturday blackout.
Free highlights: The Sky Sports app and YouTube channel will show highlights from 5.15pm with Match of the Day broadcasting on BBC One at 10.20pm.