Manchester United return to Premier League action 45 days after their last league outing, as they host relegation threatened Nottingham Forest in one of two top-flight matches on the day after Boxing Day.
Since the last round of Premier League fixtures, the controversial World Cup in Qatar took place, coming to a close on December 18th, as Lionel Messi's fantastic Argentina side came out victors over a French side spurred on by a Kylian Mbappe hat-trick.
Aston Villa's Emiliano Martinez was crucial in goal for Argentina, saving a Kingsley Coman penalty on the way to his country's penalty shoot-out win.
United come into the game after a positive return to action in the Carabao Cup Fourth Round on Wednesday, as they dispatched Championship table toppers Burnley.
A promising 2-0 victory - featuring goals from World Cup returners Christian Eriksen and Marcus Rashford - would have pleased those sitting in their seats at Old Trafford for the first time since early November.
As for Forest, they also returned to action in winning ways in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, as they steam rolled Championship high flyers Blackburn Rovers.
Steve Cooper's side cruised through to the next round thanks to two goals from Brennan Johnson, one from Taiwo Awoniyi, and one from United academy graduate, Jesse Lingard.
Despite lingering down in 18th, Forest won their final league game before the World Cup break with an impressive 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace, so they will be hoping to make it two on the bounce as they travel to the North East.
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Team News
There are no new injuries for the Red Devils coming into the tie. However, United may be short in defensive options, as manager Erik Ten Hag confirmed both Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane are still yet to return following their World Cup exploits, as both Argentina and France made it to the final.
The Dutchman also added that Harry Maguire is likely to return against Forest for the first time since reaching the quarter-final in Qatar with England.
The defender has been struggling with illness since his return from the Middle-East, but is now ready to return.
Goalkeeper Dean Henderson will not be available for the visitors as he is on loan from Old Trafford, leaving Welsh international Wayne Hennessey as the viable replacement between the sticks.
Omar Richards, Cheikhou Kouyate, Moussa Niakhate and Guilian Biancone are all out, as Forest await news on both Serge Aurier and Morgan Gibbs-White.
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Likely Lineups
Manchester United (4-3-3): De Gea, Wan-Bissaka, Maguire, Lindelof, Malacia, Casemiro, Eriksen, Fernandes, Rashford, Martial, Antony.
Nottingham Forest (4-3-3): Hennessey, Williams, Worrall, Boly, Lodi, Yates, Frueler, Kouyate, Johnson, Awoniyi, Lingard.
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Key Players
Manchester United - Marcus Rashford
United's number 10 has been in fine form of late, returning to club action impressively on Wednesday with a superb solo goal in the win against Burnley.
Despite playing just 137 minutes for the Three Lions in Qatar, Rashford was one of England's players of the tournament scoring three goals - including a brace against rivals Wales.
Ten Hag will be happy with what he saw of the Englishman at the World Cup, and will be hoping he can continue that form back on English soil.
The academy graduate is United's top goal scorer so far this season, with nine goals in all competitions, leaving him as the main man in an attack that often struggles to score goals.
Nottingham Forest - Jesse Lingard
Another United academy graduate, Lingard, will be hoping to impress at Old Trafford, but this time for the visitors.
The attacker will be coming back to Manchester with a point to prove, after leaving the Red Devils in the summer with the club choosing not to renew his contract.
Despite his well reported weekly wage, Lingard has generally struggled to impress those at the City Ground so far, but after scoring in the Carabao Cup win over Blackburn in midweek he will be looking to continue that form in the league.
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Match Details
Where is the match being played?
The match will be played at Old Trafford, home of Manchester United.
What time is kick off?
Forest will look to cause an upset on the 27th of December, with the match kicking off at 8pm.
How can I watch?
The match will be shown live on Amazon Prime Video in the UK for people who are subscribed to the service.