Manchester United vs Nottingham Forest – News and Probable Lineups

Seeking to finish their home season impressively, Manchester United welcome a strong Nottingham Forest side in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.

The Red Devils saw their impressive scoring streak halted at Sunderland last weekend, while the Tricky Trees managed to rescue a late equalizer against Newcastle United.

Match overview

After scoring in 23 consecutive Premier League matches, Manchester United was unable to find the back of the net in their goalless draw at Sunderland last time out, where both Senne Lammens and Robin Roefs excelled in goalkeeping duties to maintain clean sheets.

Due to the lack of goals at the Stadium of Light, playmaker Bruno Fernandes could not increase his tally of 19 top-flight assists, with the Portugal international just one assist shy of equaling the league’s all-time record.

Currently enjoying an unbeaten stretch of four games (W3 D1), Michael Carrick’s squad holds third place in the Premier League table and has already secured a spot in next season’s Champions League.

As a result, there may be a risk of complacency affecting the hosts’ performance against Forest this weekend at Old Trafford, where Manchester United has lost only once in their last 18 seasons during the final home league fixtures.

Having lost just twice in 15 matches under his leadership, interim manager Carrick is making a strong case for the permanent role ahead of next season’s eagerly awaited Champions League return.

Thanks to a 1-1 stalemate with Newcastle last Sunday, Nottingham Forest has extended their unbeaten streak to eight Premier League matches (W4 D4) – their longest such run in a league season since the 1995-96 campaign.

Further solidifying his claim for a spot alongside Declan Rice in Inglaterra’s World Cup midfield, Elliot Andersen delivered a memorable performance to secure a point against the Magpies at the City Ground last time out.

Unbeaten domestically since their visit to Brighton & Hove Albion on March 1, Vitor Pereira’s squad is mathematically safe from relegation, sitting seven points clear of 18th-place West Ham United with two matches left to play.

Aside from their semi-final Europa League match at Aston Villa on May 7, Forest has been exceptional in away fixtures lately, securing victories in their last three Premier League away games by an impressive combined score of 11-1.

After securing a 3-2 win at the Theatre of Dreams last season, the Tricky Trees are in pursuit of consecutive victories over Manchester United, who has not won any of the last three encounters between the two sides.

Team News

Defender Matthijs de Ligt (back) continues to be unavailable for Manchester United after missing the last 23 Premier League matches and will not feature in Sunday’s clash at Old Trafford.

After scoring in successive matches against Brentford and Liverpool, Benjamin Sesko was sidelined during the Sunderland draw due to a shin issue.

Joshua Zirkzee is expected to keep his place as the focal point of the hosts’ attack if the Eslovênian is unable to participate this weekend.

Recently, Forest has been affected by injury concerns, with crucial defenders Murillo (hamstring) and Ola Aina (knock) doubtful for Sunday’s fixture.

After sustaining a serious head injury during the victory at Chelsea, Morgan Gibbs-White is training with a protective mask but may still be available for selection at Old Trafford.

On a positive note, winger Dan Ndoye might return to the matchday roster, while midfielder Ibrahim Sangare has resumed first-team training.

Manchester United probable starting XI:

Lammens; Mazraoui, Maguire, Martinez, Shaw; Casemiro, Mainoo, Mbeumo, Fernandes, Cunha; Zircus

Nottingham Forest probable starting XI:

Sels; Cunha, Milenkovic, Morato; Williams, Yates, Anderson, Netz; Hutchinson, Jesus, Wood

Stricken by Europa League disappointment and an injury crisis, Nottingham Forest could be vulnerable against Manchester United at Old Trafford this Sunday.

With Fernandes pursuing the assist record, Manchester United is likely to be driven to achieve a convincing victory this weekend.