A positive result in the Netherlands will be a welcome distraction from the domestic troubles that have afflicted the club this season
Manchester United will look to strengthen their grip at the top of Europa League Group L as they lock horns with Dutch outfit AZ in The Hague on Thursday.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has brought a somewhat depleted squad to the Netherlands for the game, but will have full confidence in their ability to clinch three points after a youthful team beat Astana on matchday one .
Victory for the Red Devils would put them firmly in control of the group heading towards the mid-way point and it would be an early blow to AZ, who only managed a draw against Partizan in their group opener.
The Old Trafford club have endured a difficult number of weeks and will be keen to put inconsistent domestic displays behind them with an away win on the continent.
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
In the United States (US), the game can be watched live and on-demand with fuboTV (7-day free trial) .
New users can sign up for a free seven-day trial of the live sports streaming service, which can be accessed via iOS, Android, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV as well as on a web browser.
In the UK, the match will be available to watch live on TV on BT Sport 2 or it can be streamed live online using the BT Sport player app.
| UK TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| BT Sport 2 | BT Sport player |
Squads & Team News
| Position | AZ squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Bizot, Schendelaar, De Boer |
| Defenders | Hatzidiakos, Vlaar, Ouwejan, Weigelt, Wijndal, Sugawara, Bergsma, Kramer, Wuytens |
| Midfielders | Midtsjo, Stengs, Koopmeiners, De Wit, Clasie, Aboukhlal, Gudmundsson, Gudmijn, Reijnders |
| Forwards | Boadu, Idrissi, Druijf, Margaret |
Former Aston Villa defender Ron Vlaar is fit enough to return to the AZ side. The 34-year-old, who has been managing a persistent hamstring issue, was rested for AZ’s 2-0 win over Heracles at the weekend.
Full-back Jonas Svensson is suspended after being sent off on matchday one against Partizan and is replaced by Yukinari Sugawara.
Former Southampton midfielder Jordy Clasie is named among the substitutes.
AZ XI: Bizot, Sugawara, S.Wuytens, Vlaar, Wijndal, Midtsjo, De Wit, Koopmeiners, Idrissi, Boadu, Stengs.
| Position | Man Utd squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | De Gea, Romero, Grant |
| Defenders | Dalot, Lindelof, Maguire, Tuanzebe, Rojo, Williams |
| Midfielders | McTominay, Matic, Fred, Garner, Pereira, Mata, Lingard, Gomes, James |
| Forwards | Chong, Rashford, Greenwood |
Solskjaer gives a full debut to 18-year-old left-back Brandon Williams with Luke Shaw and Ashley Young both ruled out through injury. Fellow teenager Mason Greenwood, who scored the only goal against Astana in United’s opening group game, also starts.
In total there are eight changes to the side that drew with Arsenal on Monday with Victor Lindelof, Daniel James and David de Gea the only players to keep their places.
Man Utd XI: De Gea, Dalot, Lindelof, Rojo, Williams, Matic, Mata, Gomes, Fred, James, Greenwood.
Betting & Match Odds
Manchester United are 13/10 favourites to win with bet365 . Home side AZ, meanwhile, are priced at 21/10 and a draw is available at 12/5.
Match Preview
With a string of patchy results on the board and performances not reaching the desired level, Solskjaer, who was once lauded as the answer to Manchester United’s problems, is beginning to feel some pressure.
Indeed, the Norwegian has already laid the groundwork of excuses in the event that things go wrong for his team in the Netherlands, describing the artificial pitch in The Hague as “one of the worst” he has ever seen, but that will do little to quell any blowback from an increasingly restless fanbase if they fail to secure a positive result.
It is true to say that the Red Devils are coping with a series of injuries to key first-team players, but even that fact elicits little sympathy because it is something which has only served to highlight the continued failure of the club hierarchy to get deals done in the transfer market.
Swirling negativity has not helped matters, but the former Molde boss has found plenty of allies in the form of erstwhile team-mates, who have urged supporters and the club’s board to back their manager through this difficult period.
“We are all very impatient, we want success yesterday, but you have to give the man time,” Roy Keane said on Sky Sports following United’s 1-1 draw against Arsenal on Monday. “He is frustrated, under pressure, but dealing with it. He’s a classy guy but no doubt he will be disappointed at not winning enough games.
“They have given him the job. Support him in a couple of transfer windows. Are there more tough days ahead? You bet your life, but you need to stick with it.”
Success from a team full of youngsters on Thursday will be a welcome boon for the Red Devils as they head into a tough encounter against Newcastle United on Sunday and it will undoubtedly help Solskjaer’s case in the face of mounting frustration.
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