Match Preview: Burnley vs Manchester United

Burnley vs Manchester United | Premier League | Turf Moor | KO 20:15 | Sky Sports

Manchester United are through to the fourth round of the FA Cup, with their second-string side beating Watford 1-0 at the weekend thanks to a Scott McTominay header five minutes into the match.

United’s focus now switches back to the Premier League, where they face Burnley, knowing a point on Tuesday is enough to send them to the top of the table.

There have been questions asked over the ability of this United side, so a win at Turf Moor would answer a lot of critics, and put out a huge statement of intent.

How do Manchester United Look?

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The biggest piece of team news for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is that Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani is available again, having served the three match ban he was given, off the back of his social media post, following the Wolves match.

The boss confirmed that Cavani is part of his plans for the Burnley match, simply saying “he’s ready to go”.

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Eric Bailly was substituted off against Watford, after a collision with Dean Henderson.

It is thought that it was just precautionary, and Solskjaer is hopeful that the Ivorian will be ready to travel to Turf Moor.

Following the FA Cup clash, it was revealed that Victor Lindelöf, Luke Shaw and Paul Pogba are struggling with injury issues, and are all doubts for Tuesday’s match.

“Paul and Eric didn’t do all of it [training], but Luke and Victor did all of it. I’ve got a decent amount of players to pick from. Let’s see with Paul and Eric and how they are tomorrow” explained the United manager.

This match is crucial for the confidence of the club going forward, but Solskjaer will be left with a decision to make.

His side face Liverpool at the weekend, in a first vs second showdown, so he may look to rest a couple of key players going into the Burnley match, although that itself is a big match.

Opposition: Burnley

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Sean Dyche’s side play in a typical ‘Burnley style’ that the Premier League has become accustomed to over the past few years.

A 4-4-2 formation with Chris Wood and Ashley Barnes up front is expected to be seen on Tuesday, as has been the case for the majority of the season.

They sit sixteenth in the table, but have won three of their last five, including impressive wins over Arsenal and Wolves in that time.

Four Burnley players are reportedly self-isolating due to COVID regulations.

Key Stats

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Should the match end in a draw or a United win, the away side will go top of the Premier League for the first time in over two years, and prove themselves to be serious challengers for the first time since Sir Alex Ferguson retired.