Match Preview: Manchester United vs Liverpool

Manchester United vs Liverpool | Premier LEague | Old Trafford | KO 16:30 GMT | Sky Sports

After they all but secured their place in the Europa League final on Thursday, Manchester United return to Premier League action on Sunday afternoon to face fierce rivals Liverpool at Old Trafford, knowing a win will secure them a top four place, and a spot in next season’s Champions League.

A loss for United will hand the Premier League title to Manchester City, and although it is inevitable that the blues will finish first, pride is at stake, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men must leave it all out on the pitch to beat Liverpool on Sunday.

How do Manchester United look?

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Marcus Rashford has been nursing a number of injuries for a long time, and they appear to be catching up to him, with some reports suggesting that he may not be at his best for the rest of the season and at the Euros, although he is expected to play through the pain, and will likely start against Jurgen Klopp’s side.

Phil Jones and Anthony Martial are once again the only two guaranteed absentees, so Solskjaer will be blessed with a lot of options going into this one.

Dean Henderson got the night off in midweek, once again proving that he is now Manchester United’s number one goalkeeper, and that he will play in the important matches, such as Sunday’s visit of Liverpool.

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Edinson Cavani was a class above the rest against Roma, but there may have been a hint from Solskjaer that the Uruguayan may not have it in him to make the starting eleven on Sunday.

Speaking ahead of the match, the boss said, “I needed a few days towards the end of my career to recover from games like that”, perhaps suggesting that the ageing forward Cavani might struggle to make it, as he did during his career.

Opposition: Liverpool

Former champions Liverpool sit sixth in the Premier League and are seven points away from fourth placed Chelsea, making it unlikely that they will qualify for the UEFA Champions League in what has been an underwhelming season, that has led to many suggesting that they have been the worst Premier League champions in history.

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Having been knocked of all cup competitions, all Liverpool have to play for is the top four, meaning their focus will solely on the task at hand, whereas United may be more focused on their upcoming European semi-final second leg.

Jurgen Klopp’s side have a couple of defensive injuries in the form of Joe Gomez and Virgin van Dijk, but they have been unavailable for the majority of the season, so it is not a major blow for them.

Jordan Henderson is also out.

Key Stats

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Manchester United have lost just one match in their last fifteen at home against Liverpool.

United spent the whole of April unbeaten, a run of seven games, and will be hoping to end the season in similar fashion, securing second place and the Europa League.

Marcus Rashford has scored four goals in his last four games against Liverpool at Old Trafford.