Manchester United vs Crystal Palace – News and Probable Lineups

On Sunday afternoon, Old Trafford will serve as the venue for a potential managerial trial when Oliver Glasner’s Crystal Palace faces Manchester United in the Premier League.

The Red Devils narrowly defeated Everton 1-0 in their previous match, while the Eagles enter this fixture after securing their place in the last 16 of the Conference League.

Match overview

After a brief halt in momentum at London Stadium, Manchester United got back to winning ways against Everton on Monday night, avenging their earlier defeat to former head coach David Moyes.

Substitute Benjamin Sesko made an impact from the bench by scoring his seventh Premier League goal of the season at Hill Dickinson Stadium, marking his fifth goal in six league matches since Ruben Amorim’s departure, keeping the Red Devils firmly in the race for a top-four finish.

With Chelsea’s recent setback against Burnley, Manchester United maintains a three-point advantage over both Chelsea and Liverpool, who occupy fourth place in the Premier League standings, while being just three points behind Aston Villa in third.

Claiming an impressive 16 points from the last 18 available in the Premier League, no team boasts better form than Manchester United over the past six weeks, and the hosts are also the sole side yet to suffer a Premier League defeat since Boxing Day.

Carrick has orchestrated a streak of three consecutive home victories during this run, with the hosts netting multiple goals against Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City, and Fulham, though the Englishman now faces a potential candidate to succeed him.

Glasner appears to be distancing himself from Crystal Palace with every interview, but his squad has been making headlines for more favorable reasons as of late.

The Eagles secured a 2-0 victory over Zrinjski Mostar on Thursday, thanks to goals from Maxence Lacroix and Evann Guessand, keeping their hopes for continental success alive while marking their second consecutive win after edging past Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0.

Following a challenging period of 12 games without a win from December 14 to February 1, the visitors have now celebrated three victories in their last five across all competitions and achieved back-to-back wins for the first time since early December.

However, Glasner’s side still languishes in the lower half of the Premier League table and travels to Old Trafford having registered only one win in their last eight away matches, where they’ve both scored and conceded in seven of those fixtures.

Crystal Palace did suffer a 2-1 defeat at home to Manchester United in November, but the Eagles have won their last two visits to Old Trafford and could make history as the first London club to secure three consecutive Premier League victories at the Theatre of Dreams.

Team News

The only slight concern from Manchester United’s match against Everton was Bryan Mbeumo limping off toward the end, but it is not expected to be a significant issue, and he should be ready for the weekend.

Nonetheless, Lisandro Martinez (calf) and Mason Mount (knock) are currently doubtful for the hosts, while Patrick Dorgu (thigh) and Matthijs de Ligt (back) will be sidelined for a while longer.

As of now, no player in the Premier League has netted more non-penalty goals in 2026 than Sesko’s five, and the towering Eslovênian may have done enough to replace Amad Diallo in the lineup.

On the other hand, Crystal Palace emerged from their second-leg victory over Zrinjski without any fitness concerns, so they are expected to maintain their lineup for the trip to Old Trafford.

Lacroix recovered from a groin issue to both start and score in midweek, but Jefferson Lerma (hamstring), Jean-Philippe Mateta (knee), Cheick Doucoure (knee), and Eddie Nketiah (thigh) are still absent for the FA Cup holders.

Before concluding the Conference League tie on Thursday, Guessand also contributed by coming off the bench to net Palace’s late winner against Wolves, showing he deserves a starting position at Old Trafford.

Manchester United probable starting XI:

Lammens; Dalot, Yoro, Maguire, Shaw; Casemiro, Mainoo; Mbeumo, Fernandes, Cunha; Sesko

Crystal Palace probable starting XI:

Henderson; Canvot, Richards, Lacroix; Munoz, Wharton, Hughes, Mitchell; Sarr, Guessand; Strand Larsen

Some may regard Palace’s recent resurgence with skepticism, as the Eagles barely managed to defeat an uncharacteristically poor Brighton & Hove Albion and Wolves, while Thursday’s victory was harder than it needed to be.

Against a refreshed and well-prepared Manchester United who holds the best Premier League record since Boxing Day, Glasner’s team could struggle as the Red Devils aim to hold onto their fourth-place position.