- Bournemouth has not scored in 314 PL minutes
- The Cherries are winless in last 7 PL matches v. MUFC with 6 losses
- Man United has not won back-to-back PL games since last March
Manchester United looks to overcome a number of key injuries as the Red Devils travel to Vitality Stadium to take on Bournemouth, Saturday at 7:30 a.m. ET live on NBCSN or live online at NBCSports.com.
In-form defender Harry Maguire is questionable for the game after picking up a knock in his 90-minute performance against Chelsea in EFL Cup action midweek, while fellow center-back Victor Lindelof and forward Marcus Rashford are also in doubt. Rashford limped off after scoring another vital Red Devils goal midweek, while Lindelof also came off injured during the Chelsea game. The new problems add to the growing list of injury concerns, as Paul Pogba, Luke Shaw, and Jesse Lingard are all currently sidelined.
They will go up against a suddenly anemic Bournemouth offense that has been held goalless in three matches and has not scored since the 46th minute of a 2-2 draw with West Ham in late September, held without a league strike the entire month of October. To make matters worse, the Cherries have been locked down by struggling defenses in Arsenal, Watford, and Norwich City in that time.
Injuries/suspensions
Bournemouth: QUESTIONABLE – Dan Gosling (hip). OUT – David Brooks (ankle), Charlie Daniels (knee), Junior Stanislas (knee).
Man United: QUESTIONABLE – Harry Maguire (knock), Marcus Rashford (knee), Victor Lindelof. OUT – Axel Tuanzebe, Luke Shaw (hamstring), Nemanja Matic (undisclosed), Paul Pogba (ankle).
Projected lineups
Bournemouth: Ramsdale; Rico, Ake, Cook, Smith; Lerma, Billing; Cook, Fraser, H Wilson; C Wilson.
Man United: De Gea; Young, Maguire, Rojo, Wan-Bissaka; McTominay, Fred; Rashford, Pereira, James; Martial.
What they’re saying
Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe on Solskjaer: “They’ve got quality players, a very good manager who has given them real stability. He’s working to the future to build a new Manchester United. “I imagine it is [hard under the pressure]. I think he’s handled himself really well and done an excellent job to this point.”
Manchester United manager Solskjaer on Scott McTominay: “He’s been excellent. And him and Fred work in a good relationship. They’ve played well together, they did that last season at PSG, there were a few games there when we had a few injuries and now they’re working as a pair. But Scotty’s a leader, a Man United boy, he’s come through the ranks you can see he’s been a striker with the goal he scored at Norwich on the half-turn. But he’s developing into a very good midfielder.”
Prediction
Bournemouth’s struggles can’t continue for much longer, can they? Eddie Howe is too good a manager not to drag his side out of the doldrums. With the injuries piling on at Manchester United, the Red Devils could see a slip at Vitality Stadium and slump to a 1-1 draw in a tightly contested match plagued by giveaways in the final third.
