Man Utd v Chelsea Preview, Team News, Likely Line-Ups & Predicted Score

Manchester United welcome Chelsea to Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon looking to dent the Londoners hopes of a top-four finish this season.

United go into the game safe in the knowledge that their 20th league title is already in the bag but Sir Alex Ferguson will have his players up for the game as he goes up against his old foe, Rafa Benitez.

The pair endure a ‘tense’ relationship and have clashed several times over the years, particularly when Benitez was in charge at Liverpool back in 2009, so Ferguson will be keen to put one over his sparring partner this weekend.

United came back from a sluggish start against Arsenal last week to draw 1-1 but the stalemate now means they can no longer beat Chelsea’s record points haul of 95.

Chelsea are desperate for the points as they continue to battle with Arsenal and Tottenham for the all-important Champions League places. The Blues reached the Europa League final with a 5-2 aggregate win over FC Basel on Thursday night and they also have a vital clash with Tottenham to come next Wednesday, so Benitez will have to manage his squad carefully to avoid burnout.

Team News

Manchester United are without the services of striker Danny Welbeck after he was ruled out with a knee injury. Captain  Nemanja Vidic and midfielder Paul Scholes are back in training. Vidic could return to the starting line-up but Scholes is set for a place on the bench at best this weekend.

Ferguson has vowed to field a strong starting eleven meaning the likes of Robin van Perise, Michael Carrick and Wayne Rooney should all start.

Chelsea welcome back Ashley Cole after the defender was suspended for Thursday’s European clash. Eden Hazard was withdrawn during the second half against Basel as a precaution and is expected to be fit to start at Old Trafford.

Demba Ba is likely to come in for Fernando Torres despite the Spaniards goal-scoring display in midweek, while David Luiz is expected to continue in midfield after some impressive outings in recent weeks.

Likely Line-ups

Predicted Score

Manchester United have a superb home record in the league this season with only Tottenham managing to take away maximum points from Old Trafford so far. Chelsea have only kept one clean sheet in their last 17 trips to United but the Blues have more to play for and I can see them taking something away from this one. Man Utd 1-1 Chelsea 

What would be your preferred line-up for the game and whats you predicted score? Get involved in the comments section below.