This will be the first meeting between the two sides since November 2016, when Mourinho was managing United and suffered a 2-1 defeat to Fenerbahce in the Europa League group stage.
In a recent Premier League match, Manchester United secured a crucial 2-1 victory against Brentford, ending a five-game winless streak. Manager Erik ten Hag, who has faced criticism from the media regarding his future, was relieved to see his team bounce back after trailing at halftime due to Ethan Pinnock's injury-time header.
Alejandro Garnacho equalized shortly after the break with a stunning volley, and Rasmus Hojlund clinched the win with his first Premier League goal of the season.
Currently sitting 12th in the table, United are still six points adrift of the top four after eight matches. Ten Hag acknowledged the constant pressure of managing such a high-profile club and emphasized the need for his team to build on their positive second-half performance against Brentford.
Before facing West Ham United in their next Premier League outing on Sunday, United will turn their attention to the Europa League, aiming for their first win of the campaign after two draws against FC Twente and Porto, the latter of which ended in a thrilling 3-3 draw three weeks ago.
United’s recent European form has been disappointing, with only one win in their last ten matches (D4 L5) and a winless streak of five games— their longest since 1980-1983.
Since taking over at Fenerbahce in June, Mourinho has enjoyed a solid start, winning eight, drawing four, and losing just two of his first 14 games across all competitions.
His team is currently on a four-match unbeaten run, although they dropped points last weekend in a 2-2 draw against Samsunspor after conceding a late goal, trailing reigning champions Galatasaray by eight points in the Super Lig standings.
Fenerbahce, who reached the Conference League quarter-finals last season, have made a strong start to this year’s Europa League, gathering four points from their first two matches with a 2-1 win over Union SG and a 1-1 draw against FC Twente.
The Yellow Canaries will be confident going into Thursday’s match, riding a seven-game unbeaten streak at home in the Europa League (W4 D3) and having won their last two home encounters against Manchester United.
However, Mourinho has faced challenges against former teams lately, with only two wins in his last 17 such matches (D4 L11) one of those being a memorable 6-1 victory at United while managing Tottenham in October 2020.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Fenerbahce left-back Jayden Oosterwolde suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in last weekend's match against Samsunspor, adding him to the treatment list alongside Cengiz Under (groin), Ismail Yuksek (shoulder), Bright Osayi-Samuel (foot), and Irfan Can Egribayat (muscle). Filip Kostic, Oguz Aydin, Bartug Elmaz, and Levent Mercan have also been omitted from the club's Europa League squad.
With Oosterwolde out, Mourinho may have to choose between Mert Muldur or former Man United midfielder Fred to fill in at left-back, while Alexander Djiku could shift to right-back.
If Fred plays in midfield instead, he could partner with fellow ex-Red Devils player Sofyan Amrabat in a deep-lying role. Meanwhile, Allan Saint-Maximin might take Kostic's place on the left wing, while Youssef En-Nesyri and Edin Dzeko, a former Manchester City striker, will compete for the starting spot up front.
On the Manchester United side, Leny Yoro (foot) is back in training but is still sidelined, joining Kobbie Mainoo, Harry Maguire (both muscle), Luke Shaw (calf), Tyrell Malacia (knee), Mason Mount (knock), and Toby Collyer (unspecified) on the injury list.
Casemiro will be assessed after leaving the match against Brentford with a calf issue; if he's cleared to play, he could start in midfield alongside Manuel Ugarte, with Christian Eriksen stepping into the number 10 role to fill in for suspended captain Bruno Fernandes.
Noussair Mazraoui is also in the mix to return at right-back, which could allow Diogo Dalot to move to left-back. Joshua Zirkzee will continue to vie for the central striker position against Hojlund.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Fenerbahce possible starting lineup:
Livakovic; Djiku, Soyuncu, Becao, Muldur; Amrabat, Fred; Tadic, Szymanski, Saint-Maximin; En-Nesyri
Manchester United possible starting lineup:
Onana; Mazraoui, De Ligt, Martinez, Dalot; Ugarte, Casemiro; Garnacho, Eriksen, Rashford; Hojlund
EXPERT PREDICTION
Fenerbache 2-2 Manchester United
Thursday's matchup promises to be a tightly contested affair between two teams missing key players. Given the shaky defensive performances both clubs have shown recently, we can likely expect some goals.
Manchester United has struggled on the road in Europe, failing to win any of their last four away matches, despite finding the net three times in each game. With that in mind, it’s reasonable to anticipate that Mourinho's squad will hold their ground and secure at least a point in Istanbul.
