Man Utd vs Tottenham preview, team news, line-ups & more

Manchester United will be looking to get back to winning ways when they take on Tottenham at Old Trafford this evening [5.30pm kick-off].

The Red Devils were soundly beaten 4-1 by Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium last weekend and they were held to a 0-0 draw by Watford in their last home game.

Those results have left Man Utd sitting fifth in the Premier League table on 47 points. Arsenal are a point ahead with three games in hand so Ralf Rangnick’s men desperately need a win this evening to boost their hopes of finishing in the top four.

However, Tottenham arrive in Manchester also in need of points in their hunt for Champions League qualification. Spurs have rediscovered their form in the league over the past two games having registered an impressive 5-0 win over Everton following a 4-0 win at Leeds United.

The back-to-back wins have left Tottenham sitting level on points with sixth-placed West Ham and just three points adrift of Arsenal having played a game more than their north London rivals.

Team News

United have been handed a major boost ahead of the game after Rangnick confirmed Cristiano Ronaldo is set to return this evening. The Portuguese superstar missed the defeat to City due to a hip injury but is back in contention to face Spurs.

Edinson Cavani is also set to return to the squad after finally overcoming a niggling groin injury that’s hampered him in recent weeks.

Man Utd will also welcome Raphael Varane back into the fold after he missed the City defeat due to covid. The Frenchman could start alongside Harry Maguire with Victor Lindelof making way.

However, Scott McTominay is a major doubt due to a calf injury while Luke Shaw remains on the sidelines after testing positive for covid.

As for Tottenham, Ryan Sessegnon is out with a muscle issue that he picked up last week. Sergio Reguilon is expected to be recalled on the left flank.

Oliver Skipp is also missing for Spurs due to a groin injury while Japhet Tanganga is still nursing a knee problem.

Expected line-ups

Man Utd: De Gea; Dalot, Varane, Maguire, Telles; Pogba, Fred; Sancho, Fernandes, Elanga; Ronaldo

Tottenham: Lloris; Romero, Dier, Davies; Doherty, Hojbjerg, Bentancur, Reguilon; Kulusevski, Kane, Son

Prediction

Man Utd 1-1 Tottenham: United struggled for long periods at City and failed to break down a stubborn Watford side last time out at Old Trafford so they need to up their game this evening. Tottenham have also been hugely inconsistent throughout the campaign and this could be a defining game for both clubs in the race for the top four.

Ronaldo’s return should boost Man Utd and they’ll be confident on home soil, but Spurs can be devastating on the counter attack through Harry Kane and Hueng-min Son. It’s going to be a fascinating game but we’re going to sit on the fence and back a score draw.