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Premier League: Manchester United – Southampton

Rachel06 mins


Manchester United – Southampton match preview

Southampton manager Ivan Juric says he is “optimistic” his new side can upset Manchester United at Old Trafford on Thursday after ending an 11-match winless wait.

The Saints snapped a three-game losing streak and scored as many goals as they had in their previous eight games with one 3-0 home win over Championship side Swansea City in the third round of the FA Cup on Sunday.

“We can do it,” Djuric said of the prospect of adding a first away win of the season to his first win since taking charge on December 21.

“It’s a good game. The children are working well. They’re a bit more confident after the Swansea game… playing games and training, I think they’re starting to do the things I want them to do. It’s normal.

“It’s just an attitude of doing the (required) things. If you train with intensity, with pressing, with aggression, then you will play like this”.

Juric described his United counterpart Ruben Amorim’s use of the 3-4-3 formation with former club Sporting Lisbon as “near perfection”.

“He wants to do the same thing at Manchester United,” added the Croatian, whose side are 10 points adrift of safety and 17 behind their rivals in 14th.

Amorim sees the challenge as a stern test of his players’ much-discussed character. Less than two months after being appointed, Amorim said United’s 2-2 draw at Liverpool on January 5, which ended a run of four successive defeats, had made him “crazy” because of the unpredictable quality of performances he has overseen.

United produced another stunning result and impressive display of determination on Sunday, knocking Arsenal out of the FA Cup on penalties at the Emirates Stadium despite being reduced to 10 men when Diogo Dalot was sent off after 61 minutes.

“We have to deliver – or try,” Amorim added. “But the most important thing is to fight in the game and… in the end win.”

A good omen for Amorim is that United are unbeaten in 16 meetings with Southampton in almost nine years, although three of the last five meetings have been drawn since a 9-0 win for the hosts at Old Trafford in February 2021.

Man United vs Southampton team News

Dalot will be absent for the first time this season while the full-back is serving a one-match ban for his two bookings at Arsenal, with Tyrell Malacia, who replaced him against the Gunners, an option to start at left-back.

Amorim says 21 years old Toby Collierwho has played in the position in the EFL Cup this season, has also caught the eye in training.

Noussair Mazraoui could also switch sides, potentially allowing the likes of Amad Diallo, Alejandro Garnacho or Antony to start on the right.

Defenders Victor Lindelof, Jonny Evans and Luke Shaw remain out through injury, as does midfielder Mason Mount, while Andre Onana, an ever-present in the Premier League since joining in 2023, is likely to replace Altai Baydir in goal despite Turkey. the international’s heroics against Arsenal.

Southampton defender Jack Stephens, who was sent off in the 3-0 home defeat by United in September, will miss the game through injury.

Forward Ross Stewart is also out, but Flynn Downs could be back following a thigh injury the defensive midfielder suffered on December 26.

“Flynn had his first practice (Tuesday) and he’s fine,” Juric told reporters. “We’ll see if he can play from the start or later.”

Manchester United vs Southampton expected line-ups

Manchester United: Onana? Yoro, De Ligt, Martinez; Amad Diallo, Mainoo, Ugarte, Malacia; Fernandes, Hojlund, Garnacho

Southampton: Ramsdale? Bednarek, Harwood-Bellis, Wood; Walker-Peters, Fernandes, Aribo, Ugochukwu, Manning; Dibling, Armstrong



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