Manchester United will be targeting back-to-back Premier League victories for the first time this season when they travel to Bramall Lane to face Sheffield United on Saturday evening.
The Red Devils, who have endured a turbulent start to the season, needed two stoppage-time goals from Scott McTominay to secure a 2-1 win against Brentford in their last game before the International break.
They are yet to claim consecutive top-flight wins this term, but they will fancy their chances against Sheffield United this weekend, as they have won each of their last nine league games against promoted teams as well as each of their last six such matches away from home.
Sheffield are one of just two Premier League teams along with Bournemouth who are yet to celebrate a victory this season.
Since their promotion to the Preview League, the Blades have picked up just one point from their opening eight matches.
Before the break, they were condemned to their seventh league loss of the campaign as they lost 3-1 to Fulham.
Team News
Casemiro is ruled out of this game due to an injury he picked up in the International break. He joins Lisandro Martinez (foot), Luke Shaw, Aaron Wan-Bissaka (both muscle), Tyrell Malacia, Amad Diallo (both knee) and Kobbie Mainoo (ankle) on the sidelines.
Jadon Sancho continues to miss out due to his well-documented fall-out with Erik Ten Hag.
For Sheffield, they will be without Chris Basham, who is out for the rest of the season with a broken leg and will be joined in the treatment room by John Egan (Achilles), Tom Davies (thigh), Daniel Jebbison (illness), Rhys Norrington-Davies (thigh), Max Lowe (ankle), George Baldock (calf) and William Osula (muscle).
Match Facts
Sheffield United are winless in six home matches versus Manchester United in all competitions since a 2-1 victory in the FA Cup fifth round in February 1993.
The Blades have won only two of these side’s 10 Premier League meetings; a 2-1 win at home on the opening day of the inaugural 1992-93 season and by the same score at Old Trafford in their most recent encounter in January 2021.
Manchester United have scored in 24 successive league and cup games against Sheffield United since a 1-0 top-flight defeat at Bramall Lane 51 years ago.
Sheffield United have one point this season, the joint-lowest tally by any Premier League side after eight matches. They could become the first team in English top-flight history to have no more than one point after nine games on two occasions, having started 2020-21 with a draw and eight defeats.
Manchester United could start a season with five defeats in their opening nine league matches for the first time since suffering six losses under Ron Atkinson in 1986.
What managers said
Ahead of this game, Paul Heckingbottom said; “I don’t know how much anyone has seen of them [Man United], but they can be difficult to live with, and I have seen teams thinking they have got the better of them and then a moment of genius has won them the game.”
Ten Hag meanwhile expects a difficult game.
“Every game in the EPL is difficult. If you see their results against City and Spurs, they were very narrow wins. If you don’t play your best, you can lose. We won our last game away but we live in the future, we have to change the future.”
Team News
Sheffield United: Foderingham; Trusty, Ahmedhodzic, Robinson; Bogle, Norwood, Souza, Thomas; Hamer, McAtee; Archer
Manchester United: Onana; Dalot, Varane, Lindelof, Reguilon; Amrabat, McTominay; Fernandes, Mount, Rashford; Hojlund
