Chelsea vs Manchester United – News and Probable Lineups

Stamford Bridge will host an intense Premier League lunchtime kickoff this Saturday, featuring struggling Chelsea facing off against a beleaguered Manchester United.

Both Xabi Alonso and Michael Carrick risk suffering their third consecutive defeats in all competitions this weekend; however, few anticipated Carrick even making the journey to the capital.

Match overview

Carrick still enjoys considerable backing from a section of the Old Trafford supporters—much more than can be said about the players, INEOS, and the Glazer family. This has afforded him an unexpected stay of execution as manager of Manchester United amidst the club’s subpar performance.

For many observers, it appeared that Carrick was bidding farewell to the Theatre of Dreams after last weekend’s disastrous showing against Bournemouth, which surprisingly ended in a 3-0 defeat for Manchester United, marking the third such loss in four seasons to the same team.

Even with an eight-match winless streak spanning all competitions and a troubling six-match run without victory in the Premier League—leaving Manchester United in 16th place, just one point above the relegation zone—Carrick is expected to be granted time to shift the club’s fortunes.

However, the general sentiment among fans and opponents alike suggests that neither Carrick nor any potential successor can reverse the club’s declining fortunes; that responsibility lies with the higher-ups, who have repeatedly failed in this regard, regardless of the manager in charge.

As turbulence continues at the board level, Carrick hopes to finally lead Manchester United to their first away victory of the season on their seventh attempt this weekend. This dismal tally of just seven points from eight league matches marks their poorest start since the 1986-87 season.

Although Chelsea currently find themselves 11 places and six points ahead of Manchester United in the Premier League standings, morale in West London is also low following consecutive losses to Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool.

The Blues, missing Joao Pedro, couldn’t impose their traditional dominance over Tottenham at Stamford Bridge, suffering an unexpected 2-0 defeat, followed by an early exit from the EFL Cup in the fourth round, falling to a penalty shootout loss against Liverpool at Anfield.

While scoring seven goals against Bournemouth and Everton combined after the international break suggested a possible turnaround for Chelsea, they have since been pushed out of the top four and now rank as the weakest defensive side within the top ten.

To date, only Crystal Palace (19) and Ipswich Town (16) have conceded more goals than Chelsea’s total of 15 in the 2026-27 Premier League, with Alonso’s team averaging two goals against per game at home.

Moreover, the Blues have lost their last two league fixtures against Manchester United in the 2025-26 season and have secured just three victories in their last 19 encounters across all competitions, which offers a faint glimmer of historical hope for the embattled Carrick.

Team News

The omission of Bruno Fernandes from the starting XI against Bournemouth understandably made headlines for Manchester United last weekend. Carrick stated that the captain was dropped for “pure football” reasons after appearing to question his manager’s tactics in Como.

The two have since reportedly engaged in reconciliatory discussions, and Fernandes is likely to make his return to the Manchester United lineup on Saturday, as Carrick confirmed during his press conference that the Portuguese midfielder remains “fully committed” to the club.

Kobbie Mainoo has also resumed training, though the situation around Marcus Rashford’s participation remains uncertain. Additionally, Luke Shaw (unspecified injury), Benjamin Sesko (shin), Manuel Ugarte (knee), and Patrick Dorgu (thigh) are still sidelined.

As for Chelsea, Maxence Lacroix, Moises Caicedo, and Malo Gusto were all substituted due to issues at Anfield; the latter two are expected to be available for Saturday, but Lacroix has suffered a hamstring injury and is likely to miss out on this clash.

Lacroix joins Reece James (knee), Pedro (thigh), Emiliano Martinez (jaw), and Jamie Gittens (ankle) in the treatment room, although Pep Chavarria may make a return from an unspecified injury, and Cole Palmer has completed his one-match ban for being sent off against Tottenham.

Despite a disappointing EFL Cup performance, Wesley Fofana—who conceded one penalty and missed his own in the shootout against Liverpool—will likely step in for Lacroix, while Palmer may operate as a false nine following Danny Welbeck’s underwhelming outing midweek.

Chelsea probable starting XI:

Penders; Acheampong, Fofana, Colwill, Hato; Henderson, Lavia, Caicedo; Neto, Palmer, Rogers

Manchester United probable starting XI:

Lammens; Mazraoui, Maguire, Martinez, Dalot; Santos, Baleba; Mbeumo, Fernandes, Mount; Wedge

With or without Fernandes in the lineup, Manchester United is bound to create chances against a weakened Chelsea defensive line, yet Carrick’s own defensive issues potentially run deeper.

As a result, expect the Blues to be the side looking to respond to their recent setbacks while the Red Devils face a continued rough patch in the capital.