Innocent AndrewAfter more than two weeks away, Manchester United return to Premier League action as they take on Leicester City at Old Trafford on Saturday evening.
United are currently sixth in the table and four points behind fourth placed Arsenal who also have a game in hand over the Reds.
The last time that Ralf Rangnick’s side took to the pitch was against Atletico Madrid on March 15 which saw the Reds crash out of the Champions League after losing 2-1 over two legs.
However, the previous league outing was a positive one which saw United beat top four rivals Tottenham 3-2 at Old Trafford thanks to a Cristiano Ronaldo hat trick.
Saturday’s game against Leicester could prove vital with Arsenal having a game in hand over United.
Over the international break, the club have been working behind the scenes with them interviewing both Erik Ten Hag and Mauricio Pochettino over next season’s managerial position.
April promises to be a busy month for Rangnick and his players with the Reds taking on Leicester, Norwich City, Everton, Liverpool and Arsenal. This month could decide whether United compete in next season’s Champions League or not.
As for the visitors, they come into this one off the back of four wins in their last six games in all competitions which leaves them tenth in the league table.
The Foxes are still competing for European silverware with the team beating French side Rennes over two legs. Leicester face PSV Eindhoven in the quarter finals of the Europa Conference League later this month in the search of European glory.
Brendan Rodgers’ side entered the international break off the back of a 2-1 victory against Brentford with Timothy Castagne and James Maddison getting onto the scoresheet. The Foxes will be aiming to record their 11th league victory this season later today when they travel to a ground that delivered success last time out when they ran out 2-1 winners at the back end of last season.
Team News
It is not known what impact the international break has had on the fitness of the United squad but before the break, United had a clean bill of health but left-back Luke Shaw missed the Reds’ last three games but has been involved for England during the break. Shaw scored the winner for England in a 2-1 win over Switzerland last week.
The standout absentee for Leicester this weekend is Wilfried Ndidi with the midfielder suffering a knee injury during the recent clash in the Conference League against Rennes. Rodgers has also suggested that the midfielder may miss the rest of the season through injury. Ryan Bertrand and Danny Ward will also be absent due to recent operations although Rodgers could welcome Marc Albrighton and Jamie Vardy back to the starting 11 after suggesting that the pair were close to returning in his most recent press conference.
Form Guide
United beat Tottenham 3-2 in their most recent league game but the north londoners have overtaken United in the league after consecutive wins against Brighton and West Ham. United now sit four points behind Arsenal after the Gunners recorded a 1-0 over Aston Villa last time out.
Leicester have been in the mix for Champions League football over recent seasons but currently sit tenth in the league this campaign. The Foxes are currently 14 points behind United but injuries have hampered Rodgers’ side with many key players spending lots of time on the sidelines. The stop start beginning to 2022 meant that the Foxes did not record a first league win of the year until March. However, they have tasted victory in three of their last four matches, edging out Brentford 2-1 before the international break.
Innocent Andrew
