Man Utd vs Palace preview: Rangnick waits on injury news

Team news, stats and prediction ahead of Man Utd vs Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Sunday; kick-off 2pm.

Team news

United interim boss Ralf Rangnick has some injury issues to check on ahead of his first match in charge of the club this weekend.

Paul Pogba (hamstring) and Raphael Varane (thigh) remain absent for Sunday’s visit of Crystal Palace, who their former right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka will hope to face after a hand injury ruled him out against Arsenal.

Edinson Cavani has been out for a month and Luke Shaw has missed the last three matches after receiving a blow to his head. Nemanja Matic was absent against the Gunners due to a hamstring niggle and there has yet to be any update on Cristiano Ronaldo’s fitness after he was substituted late on Thursday.

Palace right-back Joel Ward will miss the trip to Old Trafford due to a one-game suspension after he received his fifth booking of the season during Tuesday’s 1-0 defeat at Leeds.

Eagles boss Patrick Vieira is also without James McArthur (hamstring) while Nathan Ferguson continues to build up his fitness having not made a first-team appearance since January, 2020 due to numerous injury issues.

Joachim Andersen will be assessed by Palace after he has sat out the last two matches due to a problem with his hamstring that forced him out of international duty with Denmark in November.

How to follow

Follow Man Utd vs Crystal Palace in our dedicated live match blog. Highlights will also be published on the Sky Sports digital platforms and the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel after full time.

Last time out…

Opta stats

? Manchester United failed to win either of their league meetings with Crystal Palace last season (D1 L1). They’ve not gone three without a win against the Eagles since a run of four between 1925 and 1970.

? Crystal Palace have won their last two away league games against Manchester United, as many as they’d managed in their previous 22 visits to Old Trafford in league competition (W2 D3 L17).

? Crystal Palace have taken seven points from their last four league meetings with Manchester United (W2 D1 L1), as many as they’d managed in their previous 23 against them (W1 D4 L18).

? Crystal Palace have already won 2-0 away against Manchester City in the Premier League this season – the last London side to win away at both Manchester clubs (City & United) in the same top-flight campaign was Arsenal in 1990-91.

? Man Utd have conceded in 15 consecutive home games in all competitions, their second-longest ever such run, after a 21-game streak ending in March 1959.

? Crystal Palace have lost back-to-back Premier League games, having lost just one of their previous 11 in the competition (W3 D7). However, these two defeats have been by a margin of one goal, with 10 of their previous 11 losses in the competition coming by at least two.

? Crystal Palace have shipped three goals in the 90th minute of Premier League games this season, with these costing the Eagles five points in total – 1-1 against Brighton, 2-2 against Arsenal and 0-1 last time out against Leeds.

? Wilfried Zaha netted twice in Crystal Palace’s 3-1 victory away against Manchester United last season – no player to have previously played for the Red Devils in the competition has ever scored in consecutive away games against them in the Premier League.

? Man Utd forward Anthony Martial turns 26 on the day of this game. He scored on his birthday in 2018 against Arsenal, and he could become just the second player to score on his birthday on two different occasions in the Premier League, after Teddy Sheringham (1994 and 1995).

? Since his debut for Manchester United in February 2020, Bruno Fernandes has been directly involved in more goals in all competitions than any other player for a Premier League club (79 – 45 goals, 34 assists).