PREVIEW & STATS: Manchester United vs Southampton

Manchester United vs Southampton

Barclays Premier League – Saturday 19^th October, 2013 (15:00 KO BST) – Old Trafford, Manchester

The Teams

United

David Moyes on post-international break injury worries ahead of Saturday’s game: “It’s always a concern, especially when you have so many players are away like we do. I’ll monitor training, one or two are nursing knocks so we’ll need to look at it but hopefully they will be okay.”

• Wayne Rooney looks set to start after once again being praised by United manager David Moyes.

• “He’s certainly a main player for Manchester United,” Moyes said at Friday’s press conference.

• The striker comes back to United on the back of two goals in two games for England.

• Robin van Persie became Netherlands’ all-time leading goalscorer after a hat-trick against Hungary, so should come into the game brimming with confidence.

• Moyes has injury concerns over Rafael, Rio Ferdinand (groin) and Tom Cleverley (calf).

• After his two-goal salvo against Sunderland, Adnan Januzaj could expect to be involved.

• “Adnan is 18, does anyone expect him to play every week? Is he good enough? The answer is yes.” David Moyes said this week.

• United have used 24 different players in starting line-ups for Premier League games this season – the most in the division.

• Team selection will be made with one eye on Wednesday’s Champions League game against Real Sociedad, also at Old Trafford.

Predicted line-up: De Gea, Smalling, Jones, Vidic, Evra, Valencia, Carrick, Fellaini, Januzaj, Rooney, van Persie

Home record: P3 W1 D1 L1 F3 A2 Pts4

Home form: D W L

Home record vs Southampton: P54 W37 D10 L7 F113 A55

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Southampton

Saints manager Mauricio Pochettino on facing David Moyes’ Manchester United: “I think both teams have changed since we last played them. Change is never easy but it’s clear that they have very good players and we will be facing a very tough team.”

• Come into the game lying 4^th in the Premier League table, having kept 5 clean sheets in 7 games, conceding just 2 goals.

• Artur Boruc and Luke Shaw, both injury doubts earlier in the week, should be fit to play.

• Gaston Ramirez, a late arrival back after international duty with Uruguay, will likely feature from the bench, if at all.

• Otherwise, Pochettino has a fully-fit squad from which to choose.

• “Some arrived back more tired than others because they travelled for a long distance due to their international commitments, but everybody is OK,” Pochettino said.

• Seven players have featured in all of Southampton’s Premier League fixtures so far: Artur Boruc, Dejan Lovren, Jose Fonte, Adam Lallana, Morgan Schneiderlin, Victor Wanyama and Rickie Lambert.

• With no injury concerns, expect all seven to start at Old Trafford.

• Lambert top scores for the Saints with 2 league goals.

Predicted line-up: Boruc, Shaw, Fonte, Lovren, Clyne, Schneiderlin, Wanyama, Davis, Lallana, Osvaldo, Lambert

Away record: P3 W2 D0 L1 F2 A1 Pts6

Away form: W L W

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Previous meetings at Old Trafford

United 2-1 Soton (30-01-13)

United 3-0 Soton (04-12-04)

United 3-2 Soton (31-01-04)

United 2-1 Soton (02-11-02)

United 6-1 Soton (22-12-01)

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Officials

Referee: Mike Jones.

The 45-year-old official has taken charge of two Premier League fixtures so far this season, issuing four yellow cards and one red card. He has awarded a single penalty. Was last seen at Old Trafford for United’s 1-0 win over West Ham back in November of last year.

Assistants: G Beswick, I Hussin.

Fourth Official: Roger East.

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Notes

Southampton have gone 6 hours and 22 Premier League minutes without conceding a goal.

United have scored 21 goals in the last 6 home matches against Southampton.

United have won 8 successive matches against Southampton in all competitions.

Six of Southampton’s seven league goals this term have been scored in the second half.

United’s last league defeat at home to Southampton was 2-0 in January 1988.

Excluding penalties, Robin van Persie has failed to score in 14 of his last 18 Premier League games, including the last five.

United have not lost back-to-back Premier League home games since defeats to Middlesbrough and Arsenal in 2002.

Score prediction: United 2-1 Southampton

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