Chelsea vs Manchester United – Match Preview
By Jordan Brightman-Charles
Chelsea host Manchester United on Sunday 28th November, a big fixture in which the West London side hope they can carry on their amazing domestic form.
Manchester United will be looking to bounce back to winning ways in the league, following the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer last Sunday.
Chelsea enter this fixture coming off the back of a 3-0 win away to Leicester City, followed by a 4-0 demolition of Italian side Juventus in the Champions League.
By Jordan Brightman-Charles
Manchester United’s fortunes have differed from that of their West London opponents. Despite the Red Devils having beaten Villarreal 2-0 away from home in their most recent fixture on the 23rd, all eyes have been focused on their league form. On the same day that Chelsea vanquished Leicester City, United would fall to a 4-1 defeat to Watford at Vicarage Road. This would spell the end for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s reign as Manchester United manager.
Former Man United midfielder Michael Carrick has been placed in charge on a temporary basis while the club look for a more permanent replacement for Solskjaer. Tuesday’s win was a good start for Carrick, who will now most certainly be aiming to make a statement on Sunday against Chelsea.
Team News
Chelsea will be without multiple key players on Sunday. Tuesday’s win against Juventus came at a cost, left wing-back was forced off the pitch with what appears to be an ACL related injury. This could see the former Leicester City defender sidelined for the rest of the season, if not longer. N’Golo Kante is a doubt for the fixture, as he was also forced off with a knee related injury, albeit not on the same level of severity as Chilwell’s. The Blues will be without Mateo Kovacic as he recovers from a thigh related issue. However, Sunday could see a return to action for Romelu Lukaku. The Belgian national made his long-awaited return to the line-up on Saturday, but remained on the bench.
Manchester United will also face multiple absences, due to both injury and suspension. Club captain Harry Maguire will miss this match after receiving a red card at Vicarage Road, picking up a one match suspension in the process. French duo Raphael Varane and Paul Pogba remain absent with thigh injuries, with Mason Greenwood ruled out due to COVID-19.
Recent Meetings
Last season produced two rather uneventful meetings in the league with two 0-0 draws between the two sides. Chelsea will be looking to end a hoodoo that has seen the West Londoners fail to gain a league win over their Mancunian opponents since November 2017.