Manchester United switch their focus back to the Premier League following their midweek European fixture, with the high-flying Red Devils preparing for a crucial—and potentially tricky—top-flight game. The club they will be facing on Sunday are Leicester, another side in a lovely vein of form.
Ten Hag's men do not enter this fixture on the back of a win. The English giants were in action on Thursday, facing Barcelona in the UEFA Europa League Knockout Round Playoffs, with that fixture ending in an end-to-end 2-2 draw.
Despite the result, it was yet another game in which their Dutch manager earned remarkable plaudits. The Premier League outfit delivered a wonderful performance against the Catalan giants and could have come away with a victory had the attackers been more clinical in front of the goal.
The in-form Marcus Rashford scored once again, grabbing the crucial equalizer after Marcos Alonso's opener. A Jules Kounde own goal then gave the visitors a 2-1 lead but that advantage vanished courtesy of a Raphinha goal.
It should be noted that two of Manchester United's last three games have ended in draws, with the Red Devils being held to a 2-2 stalemate at home to Leeds roughly two weeks ago. However, Rashford and Co. did get revenge four days later by triumphing 2-0 at Elland Road for the reverse fixture.
With Manchester City slipping up on Saturday, drawing 1-1 away to Nottingham Forest, Ten Hag's men have the golden opportunity to go within three points of the defending champions. However, that will require a victory on Sunday, which won't be easy given the opposition's form.
While Leicester are only four points adrift of the relegation zone, this is still a stark contrast to the start of the season when Brendan Rodgers' side were in the bottom three.
The Foxes began the campaign with a seven-game winless run, with the 2015/16 champions losing all but one of those games.
However, with the return of James Maddison from injury, the club have managed to turn things around, going undefeated in five of their last 10 outings in the league.
Their last two matches ended in victories, with Leicester scoring a whopping eight goals across both fixtures. One of those wins came against Aston Villa, which isn't too surprising, but the other was a shocking triumph over Tottenham, with Rodgers' men netting four past Spurs.
And with West Ham, the 18th-placed club in the Premier League, facing Tottenham this weekend, the Foxes could put further distance between themselves and the relegation zone should they win. However, since the opening day defeat to Brighton, Manchester United have won all but two of their home games, meaning this will be a tough affair for the visitors.
Team news
Manchester United: Casemiro will once again be unavailable, but this is the final game of his three-match suspension following that red card in the win over Palace. He isn't the only Brazilian set to miss this tie as Ten Hag will be without the injured Antony. Meanwhile, Scott McTominay is a doubt while Christian Eriksen and Donny van de Beek are suffering from long-term injuries, leaving the manager with a selection headache.
Leicester: Youri Tielemans has recovered from his calf issue and is available for selection. Jonny Evans isn't fully fit yet but Boubakary Soumare could make his return. James Justin and Ryan Bertrand are the Foxes' long-term absentees.
Key stats
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The last time these two sides, Manchester United won 1-0, with Jadon Sancho netting the decisive goal.
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However, prior to that King Power Stadium victory, the Red Devils had gone four straight games without beating the Foxes.
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Leicester are unbeaten away to Manchester United in the Premier League in their last two games, their best run since going four games without defeat at Old Trafford between 1972 and 1977 (W1, D3).
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Marcus Rashford is currently on a six-game goalscoring streak at Old Trafford in the Premier League, with only Wayne Rooney (8) and Cristiano Ronaldo (10) boasting better runs.
Broadcast listings
Match details, result and original broadcast info
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