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Manchester United aim to secure their third consecutive win across all competitions when they visit Selhurst Park on Saturday evening for a Premier League encounter with Crystal Palace.
The Red Devils will also be looking for some redemption after suffering a heavy 4-0 defeat at Selhurst Park in their previous visit in May of last season.
Match Preview
Crystal Palace are among six Premier League teams still searching for their first win after four matches this season. Oliver Glasner's side has managed to collect two points from draws against Chelsea and Leicester City.
Following defeats to Brentford and West Ham United in their opening fixtures, Palace earned a 1-1 draw against Chelsea before coming from behind to claim a 2-2 home draw against Leicester last weekend.
Leicester initially took control with goals from Jamie Vardy and Stephy Mavididi, but Jean-Philippe Mateta struck twice in the second half, including a stoppage-time penalty, to salvage a point for the Eagles.
Since then, Palace have advanced to the fourth round of the EFL Cup with a 2-1 win over Queens Park Rangers, thanks to goals from new signing Eddie Nketiah and former QPR player Eberechi Eze.
Their form in the EFL Cup has been impressive—having also thrashed Norwich City 4-0 in the second round—and Palace will be hoping to carry that momentum into their Premier League campaign, beginning with Saturday’s clash against a Man United side they defeated home and away last season by an aggregate score of 5-0.
Manchester United’s start to the 2024-25 season was less than ideal, with consecutive Premier League defeats to Brighton & Hove Albion and Liverpool putting manager Erik ten Hag under early pressure.
However, United have since turned things around, recording back-to-back victories with a combined score of 10-0. They followed up a 3-0 Premier League win over Southampton with a 7-0 demolition of Barnsley in the EFL Cup.
Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho have been standout performers, each scoring three goals over those two matches. Christian Eriksen and Antony also found the net, helping United secure their place in the EFL Cup fourth round.
While fans should temper their expectations—given the level of opposition—these victories have provided a much-needed morale boost for Ten Hag’s squad, who now face a busy stretch with five games in 16 days across the Premier League and Europa League.
Currently sitting 10th in the Premier League table, United head into Saturday’s clash with a poor record in London, having won only two of their last 16 away league games in the capital. Remarkably, they’ve lost as many matches (10) in London since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement as they did in 118 such fixtures during his 26-year reign.
Team News
Crystal Palace are still without summer signing Chadi Riad, who is sidelined with a knee injury, and manager Oliver Glasner has confirmed that Cheick Doucoure will be out for several weeks due to a tendon issue in his toe.
Matheus Franca (broken rib) and Trevoh Chalobah (abdominal) are making progress in their recoveries but won’t be available for this weekend’s match. They could return later next week.
Maxence Lacroix has started Palace’s last two matches since his summer move from Wolfsburg and should retain his place in the back three alongside captain Marc Guehi. Nathaniel Clyne and Chris Richards will compete for the final centre-back spot.
In midfield, Adam Wharton is likely to return, potentially replacing either Daichi Kamada or Jefferson Lerma, while Eddie Nketiah could link up with Eberechi Eze and Jean-Philippe Mateta in the attack.
For Manchester United, Victor Lindelof (toe), Tyrell Malacia (knee), Luke Shaw (calf), and Leny Yoro (foot) remain sidelined as they continue their recoveries from injury.
However, the Red Devils have been boosted by the return of Rasmus Hojlund and Mason Mount to training, and Ten Hag will make a late decision on whether they are fit to start.
After making several changes in midweek, Ten Hag is expected to revert to a similar lineup to the one that faced Southampton, with Andre Onana, Matthijs de Ligt, Lisandro Martinez, Noussair Mazraoui, Kobbie Mainoo, Bruno Fernandes, and Joshua Zirkzee all in contention for recalls.