Manchester United will look to make qualification for the UEFA Champions League knockout rounds almost certain with a home victory over Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven.
After Memphis Depay silenced his many critics in England with a superb volley in United’s 2-1 victory against Watford, he will face his former club and hope to continue that form. The Reds’ win left them temporarily top of the Premier League, although a Leicester City victory later in the day saw them drop to second.
A win for United will see them move to ten points and stay top of Group B. In the other fixture of Group B, CSKA Moscow host Bundesliga side Vfl Wolfsburg in the battle of the bottom two.
Team News
While Memphis started up front for Man United on Saturday, scoring, he may not have that platform to perform on Wednesday evening. Wayne Rooney and Anthony Martial are set to return, with captain Rooney unavailable before due to illness and Martial picking up a minor foot injury while on international duty for France.
Luke Shaw broke his leg, horrifically, in the first match between these two sides in the Champions League. PSV won 2-1 at home with Hector Moreno, who made the challenge on Shaw, scoring the winner. Shaw is certainly out for a further few months, as is Antonio Valencia, who had a foot operation just a couple of weeks ago and could be out for three to five months.
Ander Herrera and Phil Jones are both unavailable after knocks in the league game against Watford. Herrera came off at 24 minutes with a hamstring injury while Jones left the field, seemingly fine, with a foot injury in the 69th minute.
Herrera’s fellow midfielders Marouane Fellaini and Michael Carrick are also injured, leaving United boss Louis van Gaal in a tricky situation. He was forced to call up Sean Goss from the under-21 side against Watford and may have to do so again. Bastian Schweinsteiger and Morgan Schneiderlin were both superb against the Hornets, but 31-year-old Schweinsteiger may increase his chances of injury with another 90 minutes on Wednesday.
James Wilson has a knee injury, of which PhysioRoom.com expects he will return from on November 28th, therefore missing the game against PSV.
Form
United were impressive in an attacking sense in the first 45 minutes against Watford and are improving with each week. They have taken huge steps since Louis van Gaal’s appointment in July 2014 but still have areas with much work needed. The win against Watford was the first time United have scored a winner in stoppage time since Robin van Persie’s free-kick in the Manchester Derby in December 2012.
It was great for United to return from the international break with a win, having gone into it off the back of one too. Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata scored against West Bromwich Albion in a 2-0 win in early November, after Rooney had scored United’s first goal in many hours against CSKA Moscow in matchday four of the UEFA Champions League.
The Opposition – PSV Eindhoven
The Dutch champions have been missing a few key players from last season. United’s own Memphis Depay was the club, and the league’s, best player last season, topping the scoring charts with 22 goals. Georginio Wijnaldum left late in the transfer window to Newcastle United and has been vital for them this season. They made some good, cheap and young, signings, though. Hector Moreno came in for £3.5 million from Espanyol while 20-year-old Gastón Pereiro came from Nacional and has already scored five times in the league and thrice in the KNVB Beker.
PSV drew to Willem II in the Eredisvie at the weekend and are 4 points off top of the table Ajax, sitting in third. Pereiro and Luuk De Jong got the goals on Saturday evening.
Team News
Jetro Willems is on the road to recover from a knee injury that the 21-year-old picked up in July. Another long-term absentee is Menno Koch who ruptured his cruciate ligament in March and still has no return date for PSV.
Left winger Maxime Lestienne has been away on special leave after the death of both parents just six weeks apart.
PSV Last Five Results
