Manchester United vs Manchester City – News and Probable Lineups

The Women’s Super League leaders Manchester City Women will make the short journey to Old Trafford for this Saturday’s derby against rivals Manchester United Women.

Andree Jeglertz’s side has had an entire week to get ready for the Manchester derby, while the Red Devils will need to quickly recuperate and concentrate following their midweek Women’s Champions League loss to Bayern Munich.

Match overview

Currently, Man United holds the second position in the WSL table after achieving 11 wins, five draws, and two defeats from their 18 league outings.

The Red Devils are currently in a fight for a top-three finish instead of being in the title race, sitting just one point ahead of Chelsea in third place and three points above Arsenal, who have two games in hand.

Man United has found it challenging to secure victories during a tough stretch, having earned only one win in their last five competitive fixtures.

After losing to Chelsea in both the FA Cup fifth round and the League Cup final, Man United managed a disappointing goalless draw with West Ham United before bouncing back with a narrow 2-1 win.

However, they couldn’t build on that hard-fought victory in Wednesday’s Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich at Old Trafford, where they equalized on two occasions but ultimately succumbed to a late goal in a 3-2 defeat.

Marc Skinner’s team is mindful of next week’s second leg at the Allianz Arena, but first, they will seek to win a Manchester derby at home for the first time since their 2-1 success in May 2023.

On the other hand, Manchester City is on the brink of securing the WSL title for the first time since 2016, having won 15, drawn one, and lost two of their 18 league matches this season.

The Citizens extended their lead at the top of the table to eight points with a resounding 5-2 triumph over Tottenham Hotspur last weekend, featuring a hat-trick from Khadija Shaw, a goal from Kerolin, and an own goal by Amanda Nilden.

As a result of that win, Manchester City has now scored a total of 37 goals at home and remains the only team in the WSL yet to drop points on home soil this season.

They will now venture away with hopes of securing their first away win since January, having only earned one point from their last two matches on the road.

Jeglertz’s team has the opportunity to complete a league double over their local rivals after winning the reverse fixture 3-0 in November.

A win would also make it impossible for them to finish behind Man United in the standings, leaving only Chelsea and Arsenal as teams they could prevent from securing another WSL title.

Team News

Manchester United continues to be without Dominique Janssen, Anna Sandberg, Ellen Wangerheim, Leah Galton, and Ella Toone due to injury.

Skinner hopes that Elisabeth Terland will be fit to contribute after being an unused substitute in midweek.

Jayde Riviere could be included in the starting XI after coming off the bench on Wednesday following her recovery from injury, and Simi Awujo may also be in Skinner’s considerations if he chooses to refresh his lineup.

As for the Citizens, they will miss defender Naomi Layzell and former Man United midfielder Grace Clinton due to injuries.

Mary Fowler, Ayaka Yamashita, Aoba Fujino, and Yui Hasegawa are all back in contention following their participation in the Asian Cup in Australia.

The WSL’s top scorer Shaw will continue to spearhead the Manchester City forward line, having netted 18 goals in 18 league appearances this season.

Manchester United Women probable starting XI:

Tullis-Joyce; Riviere, Le Tissier, Turner, Lundkvist; Zigiotti Olme, Auburn, Nalsund; Park, Mallard, Schuller

Manchester City Women probable starting XI:

Yamashita; Casparij, Rose, Knack, Greenwood; Hasegawa, Coffey; Caroline, Miedema, Hemp; Shaw