- Southampton striker Danny Ings (hamstring) is ruled out while Ryan Bertrand (back) is a doubt.
- Man Utd’s Alexis Sanchez is missing with a hamstring injury sustained in training this week.
- Diogo Dalot is set to make his United debut although Victor Lindelof (hamstring) is set to sit out. Luke Shaw returns after suspension.
- Since Sir Alex Ferguson retired, Man Utd has won only four of its 10 PL matches against Southampton, having beaten Southampton in nine of the last 10 under the Scot.
Manchester United can get back into the top six with a win as they travel to the south coast to take on struggling Southampton. (Watch live at 12:30 p.m. ET on NBC and online via NBCSports.com).
Jose Mourinho has had yet another tough couple of weeks in charge, with Man United looking off the pace even with a midweek UEFA Champions League win over Young Boys. However, they face another club that’s down on its luck in Southampton, which has dropped into the relegation zone with just eight points from 13 games and no wins in seven. If Mourinho’s seat is hot at Old Trafford, it’s nothing compared to Mark Hughes at St. Mary’s Stadium.
Hughes saved Southampton a year ago but his time may be running out. Even though it’s on the road, this match for Manchester United could be a chance for Mourinho’s men to find their mojo again.
What they’re saying
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho on Diego Dalot, who could make his return from injury this weekend: “Players must be ready and in this case some are going away to the medical room and others are coming back. For example, this weekend will be the first call for Dalot. He’s ready now. He had an important injury and then surgery, and then a second injury with the national team [Portugal Under-21s] when he was already playing against Young Boys and Derby County. When he was almost there, he was injured for the national team but now he’s had two weeks of training and we think he’s ready now.“
Southampton manager Mark Hughes on facing Man United: “We looked at a different thing – different in terms of formation, going back to three at the back. That will have positives in games, and sometimes there’s negatives in any formation you go with, but it was interesting to see how the guys got back to that system and they looked very, very comfortable with it. I think that’s the benefit of the work we’ve done during the summer, so very quickly they understood the fundamentals of that. I just think it gives us another string to our bow. We’ve got to be versatile, we’ve got to be flexible in terms of how we go up against teams, because every team gives you different problems.
Prediction
Southampton is in a bad run of form and even with Alexis Sanchez’s injury, Man United still has enough firepower to overcoming the Saints. Mourinho gets a brief reprieve, while Hughes’ seat grows ever hotter. Manchester United 2-0 Southampton
