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Chelsea will be eager to avenge their 2-1 defeat at Old Trafford back in December. Their hopes for European football next season suffered another blow when they squandered a lead twice to draw 2-2 against 10-man Burnley at home last weekend. Despite Cole Palmer's first-half opener, cancelled out by Josh Cullen after the interval, Chelsea seemed to regain control with another goal from Palmer. However, Dara O'Shea's late header from a corner secured a valuable point for Burnley.
Mauricio Pochettino criticized his Chelsea side for lacking "heart and head" in what he deemed a "must-win" match. With only 11 wins from 28 Premier League fixtures, Chelsea currently sits in 11th place, four points behind the top seven and eight points behind sixth-placed Manchester United.
Defensive weaknesses have plagued Chelsea throughout the season, conceding exactly two goals in their last five games and failing to keep a clean sheet in their last 11 matches across all competitions.
Despite Chelsea's strong home record, winning five out of their last seven Premier League games at Stamford Bridge, their recent encounters with Manchester United haven't been fruitful. They haven't won any of their last 12 league meetings against United, with their last top-flight victory over them dating back to November 2017.
Meanwhile, Manchester United's recent form hasn't been much better. After their thrilling 7-0 FA Cup quarter-final win against Liverpool, they were held to a 1-1 draw by Brentford last weekend. Despite substitute Mason Mount seemingly securing a late winner in the 96th minute, Brentford managed to equalize in the 99th minute, leaving United disappointed.
Erik ten Hag criticized his team's performance, acknowledging that they "didn't deserve to win." This latest setback leaves Manchester United eight points behind fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, putting their Champions League qualification hopes in jeopardy.
Next up for Manchester United is a challenging set of fixtures against Chelsea and league leaders Liverpool. Despite their struggles away against London-based teams, having won only one of their last nine top-flight away games against such opposition, they are unbeaten in their last five league visits to Stamford Bridge.
They'll be aiming to secure a rare feat of winning three consecutive matches against Chelsea for the first time since September 1965. Victory on Thursday would also mark their first league double over Chelsea since the 2019-20 season.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Chelsea will be missing several key players due to injury, including Wesley Fofana, Romeo Lavia, Christopher Nkunku, Reece James, Lesley Ugochukwu, Levi Colwill, Carney Chukwuemeka, Robert Sanchez, and Trevoh Chalobah. Full-backs Malo Gusto and Ben Chilwell will undergo assessments before the game - Gusto sustained a hamstring injury in the previous match against Burnley, while Chilwell was sidelined due to a knee problem.If Gusto is unfit to start, Axel Disasi might step in as a right-back, requiring Thiago Silva to return to the starting lineup alongside Benoit Badiashile in central defense. Cole Palmer, who scored against Manchester United in the previous encounter, is expected to continue on the right flank, with competition from Raheem Sterling, Noni Madueke, and Mykhaylo Mudryk in the attacking third.
On the Manchester United side, Victor Lindelof and Lisandro Martinez are sidelined with hamstring and calf injuries respectively, joining Luke Shaw, Anthony Martial, and Tyrell Malacia in the treatment room. Raphael Varane, Altay Bayindir, and Jonny Evans are doubtful, but Varane might partner Harry Maguire in central defense pending a late fitness test.
In midfield, Casemiro and Mason Mount are options for starting roles, although Erik ten Hag might stick with Scott McTominay alongside Kobbie Mainoo, who scored twice against Chelsea in the previous fixture. Amad Diallo is available after suspension but isn't expected to displace Alejandro Garnacho or Marcus Rashford on the wings.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Chelsea possible starting lineup:Petrovic; Disasi, Silva, Badiashile, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Palmer, Gallagher, Sterling; Jackson
Manchester United possible starting lineup:
Onana; Dalot, Varane, Maguire, Wan-Bissaka; Mainoo, McTominay; Garnacho, Fernandes, Rashford; Hojlund
EXPERT PREDICTION
Chelsea 1-1 Manchester United
With neither side able to afford dropping more points as they approach the end of the season, it's worth noting that five of the last seven meetings between these teams in the Premier League have ended in draws. This suggests that we might see another closely fought battle resulting in a shared point for both sides once again.
