Manchester United (Red Devils) | Special Thread

The final international break of 2017 is now over and Premier League action makes a welcome return to Old Trafford this weekend as Manchester United host mid-table Newcastle United in a Saturday teatime clash. Jose Mourinho's men will look to claim three points at the Theatre of Dreams in a bid to catch league leaders Manchester City, who sit eight points clear at the top of the table and travel to Leicester City earlier in the day.
 
What's the team news? The boss confirmed in his pre-match press conference on Friday that Marcos Rojo, Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic are all back in contention for a place in the matchday squad against Newcastle. It's further good news after Marouane Fellaini made a positive return to action as a substitute against Chelsea before the international break. However, Phil Jones is likely to miss out after picking up a thigh problem on international duty with England. Meanwhile, Newcastle will be without captain Jamaal Lascelles and Christian Atsu, but boss Rafael Benitez confirmed that Republic of Ireland duo Rob Elliot and Ciaran Clark are both available.
 
How are Newcastle doing? After a three-match unbeaten run, which included a creditable draw at home to Liverpool, the Magpies lost back-to-back games by a 1-0 scoreline before the international break, away to Burnley and at home to Bournemouth. Benitez's side have largely struggled for consistency so far this term, with their only win in October coming at home to bottom-club Crystal Palace. Newcastle currently sit 11th in the Premier League after 11 games and, although they will be underdogs at OT, they face Watford and West Ham afterwards - games they will be looking to pick up points in.
 
What's our head-to-head record like? United are the dominant side as history shows, with the Reds winning 83 of the sides' 163 meetings - including six of the last 10. There should be goals too, with both sides failing to score in only four of the last 50 clashes. Our last meeting with the Magpies was during the 2015/16 season, when the Reds were denied victory by a last-gasp Paul Dummett goal in a thrilling 3-3 draw at St James's Park.
 
Who is the referee? Craig Pawson will be in the middle on Saturday, with the Fifa whistler from South Yorkshire overseeing his second United game of the season after handling our 1-0 win at Southampton in September. Incidentally, United are unbeaten in the 11 previous games he's handled – winning nine and drawing two. He will be assisted by Lee Betts and Constantine Hatzidakis, while the fourth official will be Paul Tierney, who refereed Newcastle's 1-0 home defeat by Bournemouth in their last game.
 
Saturday 18 November (15:00 GMT unless otherwise stated)
Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur (12:30 GMT)
Crystal Palace v Everton
West Bromwich Albion v Chelsea
Burnley v Swansea City
Liverpool v Southampton
Leicester City v Manchester City
Bournemouth v Huddersfield Town
Manchester United v Newcastle United (17:30 GMT)
 
STRAIKA wa Manchester United, Romelu Lukaku, amesisitiza kuwa kurejea kwa staa mwenzake, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, kutawaongezea nguvu katika mbio za kuwania ubingwa Ligi Kuu England.

Mkongwe huyo mwenye umri wa miaka 36, hajacheza hata dakika moja kwenye kikosi hicho cha Mashetani Wekundu tangu asaini mkataba mpya majira ya joto, kwani bado anauguza majeraha yake ya goti aliyoyapata Aprili mwaka huu.
 
Ibrahimovic ambaye aliongoza kwenye orodha ya mabao Man United katika kampeni yake ya kwanza Old Trafford, anatarajiwa kurudi dimbani kabla ya mwisho wa mwaka.

Alipoulizwa kuhusu mchango anaoutarajia kutoka kwa mchezaji mwenzake huyo, Lukaku aliiambia Sky Sport News: "Kurudi kwa Ibrahimovic kutatusaidia kuifukuzia Manchester City.

"Timu kama yetu ni ngumu sana kwa timu pinzani. Inanihamasisha kwa kweli, kwa sababu ni mchezaji mwingine bora sana atakayeongeza nguvu kikosini mwetu."
 
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