Leicester City will clash with Manchester United at Old Trafford this weekend in what is their second meeting in the past ten days.
The two sides recently met in the Carabao Cup fourth round, and in Man United’s first match since Erik Ten Hag’s sacking, they comprehensively beat Leicester. The Red Devils were led by interim manager Ruud Van Nistelrooy and thrashed the Foxes 5-2 at Old Trafford. Although Steve Cooper rested most of the first team for the fixture, it was an embarrassing defeat. Leicester fans will be hoping for a better performance this weekend.
Manchester United vs Leicester City – Match Details
Date: November 10, 2024
Time: 14:00 GMT
Venue: Old Trafford, Manchester
Manchester United vs Leicester City – Team News
Patson Daka has returned to full training recently. Hamza Choudhury and Jakub Stolarcyk remain sidelined as they recover from their long-term injuries.
United have a long list of absentees, with former Fox Harry Maguire, Tyrell Malacia, Leny Yoro, Luke Shaw, and Kobbie Mainoo all sidelined.
Manchester United vs Leicester City – Match Preview
This will be the last United game with Nistelrooy as their manager. Ruben Amorim will take charge of the Red Devils on November 11 and faces his first managerial test against Ipswich Town two weeks later.
Under Nistelrooy, Man United haven’t deviated much from the tactics that previous manager Erik Ten Hag used. In the three matches the former striker has managed, the record Premier League champions have lined up in a 4-2-3-1. However, Nistelrooy has shored up United’s defence by using a more defensive midfield pivot of Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte.
The Red Devils will be the obvious favourite, but Steve Cooper will feel that his Leicester side are capable of leaving Old Trafford with a point. The Foxes have a lot of individual brilliance in their attack and have strong options on the bench.
Leicester have struggled defensively this season but United haven’t been great in attack. Their nine goals scored is one of the lowest in the Premier League, a massive underperformance of their expected goals (xG) of 16.6. The main culprits behind their poor finishing have been Bruno Fernandes, new signing Joshua Zirkzee, and Alejandro Garnacho.
With United expected to dominate proceedings at Old Trafford, the Foxes will likely sit up in a 5-4-1 and look to counter with speed when they win the ball. Leicester have shown a lot of fight this season, and despite Man United’s status as heavy favourites, expect a tough battle on Saturday.
Manchester United vs Leicester City – Predicted Starting Lineups
Manchester United predicted lineup: André Onana; Diogo Dalot, Matthijs de Ligt, Lisandro Martinez, Noussair Mazraoui; Casemiro, Manuel Ugarte; Alejandro Garnacho, Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford; Rasmus Hojlund.
Leicester City predicted lineup: Mads Hermansen; Ricardo Pereira, Wout Faes, Caleb Okoli, Victor Kristiansen; Harry Winks, Wilfred Ndidi, Bilal El Khannouss; Facundo Buonanotte, Jamie Vardy, Stephy Mavididi.
