Manchester United will look to bounce back from a disastrous opening weekend when they welcome Ipswich Town to Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon.
Michael Carrick’s side suffered a shock 2-1 defeat to Hull City last weekend, marking their first-ever Premier League loss to the Tigers and their first opening-day defeat against a promoted side after 13 unbeaten attempts.
United dominated possession and produced 21 attempts but struggled to create enough clear-cut opportunities, highlighting an attacking issue Carrick will want corrected immediately.
The Red Devils had finished third last season after winning 12 of their final 17 league matches, but their disappointing start has raised questions over whether they can build on that progress. Their summer recruitment has included Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans, Karl Darlow and Carlos Baleba, although Baleba will have to wait for his debut due to injury.
Ipswich, meanwhile, could hardly have asked for a better return to the Premier League. Gary O’Neil’s side defeated Sunderland 2-1 through Jack Clarke’s dramatic 90th-minute winner before overcoming Leicester City 3-1 in the EFL Cup during the week.
The Tractor Boys spent more than £100m strengthening their squad after winning promotion with a second-place Championship finish last season. They will now attempt to claim another major scalp at Old Trafford.
Team News
Manchester United will be without Carlos Baleba, who has an ankle injury, while Tom Heaton, Matthijs de Ligt, Mason Mount and Manuel Ugarte remain sidelined. Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo are pushing for starts.
Ipswich have fewer injury concerns, with Azor Matusiwa and Florentino Luis unavailable. Marcelino Nunez is expected to retain his place after scoring twice against Leicester, while Jack Clarke could start after his decisive goal against Sunderland.
Possible Lineups
Manchester United possible starting lineup:
Lammens; Mazraoui, Maguire. Heaven, Shaw; Mainoo , A. Santos; Mbeumo, B. Fernandes. Rashford; M. Cunha
Ipswich Town possible starting lineup:
Scherpen; O’Shea, Diop, Greaves, Davis; Nunez, Lukic; Clarke, Enciso, Maeda; Emersonn
How to Watch
| Platform | Details |
|---|---|
| TV Broadcast | SuperSport Premier League |
| Live Stream | dstv stream |
| Kick-off Time | 16:30pm (WAT) |
Match Prediction
Softfootball predicts Manchester United 2-1 Ipswich Town.
