Man Utd vs Leeds preview | Group information | Line-Ups | H2H

Manchester United will hope to strengthen their grip on third place once they welcome Leeds United at Outdated Trafford on Monday night time soccer.

Whereas United’s latest league kind has been inconsistent, with three victories from their final six matches, the broader outlook below Michael Carrick stays encouraging.

Since taking cost on January 17 — shortly after United’s 1–1 draw in opposition to Leeds at Elland Highway in Ruben Amorim’s remaining sport — Carrick has guided his aspect to 23 factors from a doable 30 (seven wins, two attracts, and one defeat).

At Outdated Trafford, their progress has been notably evident, as they’ve recorded 5 consecutive residence wins and haven’t suffered a league defeat there since November.

Within the Premier League period, solely Carlo Ancelotti (seven), the late Sven-Göran Eriksson (9), and Manuel Pellegrini (11) have overseen longer successful begins on residence soil than Carrick, whose present run stands at 5, including to the one he achieved in 2021.

Such sturdy residence kind has positioned them firmly in competition for a return to the Champions League within the 2026–27 season, as they at the moment occupy third place within the Premier League, holding a seven-point benefit over sixth-placed Chelsea.

Confidence will probably be excessive heading into this fixture, with the Pink Devils unbeaten of their final 18 residence league encounters in opposition to Leeds (11 wins, seven attracts), a run stretching again to a 1–0 defeat in February 1981 below Dave Sexton.

However, Leeds at the moment sits fifteenth within the Premier League desk, three factors above the relegation zone, having recorded seven wins, 12 attracts, and 12 defeats from 31 matches.

The Whites have drawn their final two league fixtures in opposition to Crystal Palace and Brentford, and they’re but to win a Premier League sport because the 3–1 win over Nottingham Forest in February.

The West Yorkshire outfit will probably be travelling to Outdated Trafford hoping to finish their woeful away document this season, having gained simply as soon as in 15 Premier League away video games, misplaced seven, and conceded 28 objectives.

Extra worrying is their profligate assault, which did not rating of their final 4 league video games—the longest ongoing drought in England’s high flight—and solely from January to March 1982 has Leeds ever gone longer with out scoring.

Nonetheless, they’ll additionally strategy this sport with optimism and dedication to keep away from defeat in opposition to United in what might be their first time of going a whole season with out dropping to the 13-time Premier League champions because the 1994–95 season.

Though consideration is partly on their upcoming FA Cup semi-final in opposition to Chelsea, the extra urgent difficulty for the Whites stays their Premier League standing, which is changing into more and more precarious, as a loss to United will put them on the right track for a nervy relegation scrap.

Group information

Michael Carrick will probably be with out Harry Maguire, who’s suspended for this conflict following his purple card in opposition to Bournemouth.

Patrick Dorgu stays absent with a hamstring harm, whereas Matthijs de Ligt will probably be unavailable as he continues to get well from a again difficulty.

In a lift to the Pink Devils, Lisandro Martinez is in competition for the sport after recovering from a calf harm.

Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko are additionally declared match, squashing preliminary fears of harm after their withdrawal from worldwide responsibility.

Leeds, alternatively, will probably be with out Anton Stach and Joe Rodon, each dominated out with ankle accidents, whereas Daniel James is confirmed to overlook the journey to Manchester on Monday.

The trio of Noah Okafor, Jaka Bijol, and Gabriel Gudmundsson will bear late health exams to find out their availability for this conflict.

Anticipated lineups

Man Utd: Lammens; Dalot, Yoro, Martinez, Shaw; Casemiro, Mainoo; Mbeumo, Fernandes, Cunha; Sesko.

Leeds United: Darlow; Bornauw, Struijk, Bijol; Bogle, Aaronson, Ampadu, Tanaka, Justin; Nmecha, Calvert-Lewin.

Match stats and head-to-head

• Since a 1–0 defeat below Dave Sexton in February 1981, United have gone 18 residence league matches in opposition to Leeds with out dropping, recording 11 wins and 7 attracts throughout that interval.

• After enjoying out a 1–1 draw at Elland Highway in January, Leeds are aiming to keep away from struggling defeats in each league encounters with the Pink Devils in the identical season for the primary time since 1994–95.

• Throughout their final 20 league conferences with Leeds, United have been overwhelmed simply as soon as, successful 12 and drawing seven.

• The Whites have failed to attain in any of their final 4 Premier League video games, marking the longest present scoring drought on this season’s competitors. The one longer run of their league historical past got here between January and March 1982, once they went six video games with no objective — a marketing campaign that in the end led to relegation from the highest flight.

• Since Christmas Day, United have suffered only one defeat in 14 Premier League fixtures (eight wins and 5 attracts), with solely league leaders Arsenal gathering extra factors in that interval (31) than the Pink Devils’ complete of 29.

• This season, United’s captain Bruno Fernandes has created 101 probabilities within the Premier League, making it the third marketing campaign through which he has surpassed the 100 mark, following 2022–23 (119) and 2023–24 (114). He joins Frank Lampard and Kevin De Bruyne as the one gamers since 2003–04 to realize that feat in three separate seasons.

Prediction

Man Utd 2-1 Leeds United: Whereas securing three most factors will elevate them at the very least six factors above the relegation zone, their latest outcomes point out {that a} draw remains to be a powerful chance.

Throughout their final eight Premier League away fixtures, Leeds have recorded attracts in seven of them (one defeat), with no crew recording extra attracts on the street within the 2025–26 marketing campaign.

The Whites are at the moment on a run of 4 consecutive away attracts, with just one longer such streak of their league historical past, when six successive matches ended stage between August and October 1998.

Nonetheless, Carrick has remodeled United, instilling better confidence in each the crew and the fanbase. They’re additionally very formidable at residence, having gained all 5 video games below the previous Middlesbrough boss.

Mbeumo and Sesko’s availability, together with Fernandes’s assist, ought to encourage them to take the sport to Leeds.