The Red Devils were held to their ninth home draw of the season when they last took to the field, as Everton left Old Trafford with a point on Tuesday night. It could easily have been even worse for Jose Mourinho's men: after Phil Jagielka gave the Toffees the lead midway through the first period, the hosts had to wait until second-half stoppage time to get back on level terms via a Zlatan Ibrahimovic penalty. It was another disappointing performance and result for United in front of their own supporters, with Mourinho admitting afterwards that it will be "very difficult" for his team to finish in the Champions League places as they remain four points behind the top four.
Sunderland, meanwhile, are surely doomed to relegation to the Championship after yet another defeat in midweek, this time against Craig Shakespeare's resurgent Leicester City. Tuesday’s 2-0 reverse at the King Power Stadium means David Moyes' charges have now failed to score in nine of their last 10 outings in all competitions, while the Black Cats have amassed just six points from the last 39 on offer. It is a dire record that reflects badly on everyone at the club; Sunderland have flirted with relegation for a number of years now, and they can have no complaints when they finally fall through the trapdoor in the coming weeks.
Manchester United will have to make do without Juan Mata (groin), Wayne Rooney (ankle), Chris Smalling (knee) and Phil Jones (toe), while Ashley Young could miss out with a knock. Antonio Valencia should return at right-back after being rested for the midweek clash with Everton, while Luke Shaw could start on the other side of the defensive line of four despite once again being criticised by Mourinho on Wednesday night. Further forward, Paul Pogba should return to the starting XI in midfield, and Anthony Martial is pushing for a recall out wide.
Sunderland, meanwhile, will be unable to call upon the services of Jan Kirchhoff (knee), Steven Pienaar (calf), Duncan Watmore (knee) and Paddy McNair (knee), but Lee Cattermole is available once more following a hip problem. Jermain Defoe will again be relied upon for goals at the top of the pitch, with Fabio Borini and Adnan Januzaj set to provide support from the flanks; at the back, Lamine Kone and Jason Denayer could resume their centre-half partnership despite Wednesday's loss to the champions.
It is difficult to look past a United triumph on Sunday, with Moyes highly unlikely to get one over on his former employers. Sunderland's dismal goalscoring record means they will struggle to penetrate the joint second-meanest defence in the division. An away win in a match featuring fewer than 2.5 goals could be the way to go here, while Ibrahimovic is the obvious choice to find the back of the net anytime.
.png)
.png)
