Manchester United next face rivals Liverpool at Anfield as Premier League action resumes this weekend.
Players from both sides are returning from action with their respective countries this week as the October international break comes to an end, but it’s straight back in at the deep end with a tough assignment on Merseyside.
United are looking to add to our win against Sunderland before domestic action paused, while our opponents seek to stem a losing run that extended to three with their defeat to Chelsea
at the beginning of the month.
TEAM NEWS
United will hopefully head into Sunday’s game with a relatively clean bill of health. Noussair Mazraoui has been absent since our meeting with Chelsea at the end of September – but did join up with the Morocco squad over the international break – and Lisandro Martinez continues his rehabilitation from a knee injury sustained in February this year.
Ayden Heaven came off at half-time in a recent England Under-20 game after receiving treatment on the pitch, but we await further updates on his situation. Ruben Amorim could provide further information on the young defender, plus any other team news, in his pre-match press conference ahead of our trip to Liverpool.
The Merseysiders are having a difficult time on the injury front. Alisson, Wataru Endo and Giovanni Leoni are all expected to miss the clash, with none of the trio featuring for their countries during the break.
Ibrahima Konate and Ryan Gravenberch were also doubts heading into the break, with the central defender leaving the France camp and the latter appearing in both of the Netherlands’ matches, so whether Arne Slot deems them both ready to start in domestic action remains to be seen.
PAST MEETINGS
Anfield has proved a difficult setting for United in recent years but, despite that backdrop, the last two visits have yielded draws.
Our last meeting there, Amorim’s first with the club, came in January this year and ended all square at 2-2.
Lisandro Martinez netted the opener on that day, before Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah’s penalty put the hosts back in front, but Amad ensured we headed back down the M62 with a point with his 80th-minute effort to level the game.
You have to look back to 2016 for our last Anfield win, a 1-0 victory under Louis van Gaal courtesy of a Wayne Rooney goal – a record Amorim will be looking to correct on Sunday.
