Manchester United can make it five wins on the bounce when they face West Ham United at the London Stadium on Tuesday night (February 10th). A 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday continued Michael Carrick’s remarkable start to his reign as caretaker manager.
Bryan Mbeumo and Bruno Fernandes were on the scoresheet at Old Trafford as Carrick’s men beat 10-man Spurs. It’s been an excellent month for the Red Devils, and they sit fourth heading into their trip to west London.
Manchester United face a West Ham side that is embroiled in a relegation battle but has turned a corner as of late. Nuno Espirito Santo’s Hammers beat Burnley 2-0 last time out, which was their third win in four games.
Carrick is well aware of just how tricky a test coming up against the Irons will be. The visitors won’t need reminding of the 1-1 draw that occurred under Ruben Amorim at the Theatre of Dreams back in December.
Manchester United team news vs West Ham
Carrick was without Patrick Dorgu for the win over Spurs following the Danish winger’s hamstring injury sustained in the sensational 3-2 win over Arsenal at the Emirates. He is expected to be sidelined for at least another eight weeks.
Mason Mount is also set to miss the encounter with West Ham, but Carrick believes he should be fit for next Monday’s game against Everton (February 23rd). The English midfielder has dealt with recurring injury issues throughout his spell with the Reds.
Matthijs de Ligt is still recovering from a back injury he picked up in a 2-1 win against Crystal Palace back in November. The Dutch defender is close to returning, which will be a massive boost for Carrick, although the Everton game might come too soon.
Carrick told the media ahead of the West Ham game (via the club’s official website):
“Mason will be probably not for Tuesday, probably after, but definitely gone into the Everton game, he’ll be back.
“Matta, we’ll see how he develops over the, you know… the Everton game feels like a long time away at the moment, so we’ll see how he develops, but he’s positive, he’s moving in the right direction, but Mason’s a little bit closer than him.”
That means any concerns over Bryan Mbeumo have been allayed after he was seen hobbling in the win over Spurs. The Cameroonian attacker has been used as the focal point of Carrick’s attack since the English coach replaced Amorim.
Manchester United expected XI vs West Ham
Given that Manchester United are on the cusp of winning their fifth game in a row, it seems unlikely Carrick will opt to make any changes to the side that beat Spurs. His decision to use Mbeumo up top has reaped rewards with the 26-year-old bagging three goals in four games under his new coach.
Kobbie Mainoo, whom Gary Lineker has told to ‘sue’ Amorim, can be expected to continue in midfield alongside Casemiro, who has been superb during his final season with the club. The central defensive partnership between Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez continues to grow, and they will likely line up in a back four with Diogo Dalot and Luke Shaw.
Man Utd Expected XI: Lammens; Dalot, Maguire, Martinez, Shaw; Casemiro, Mainoo, Fernandes; Amad, Mbeumo, Cunha
Manchester United vs West Ham prediction
It could be argued that the win over Fulham earlier this month was Carrick’s most difficult game since arriving as interim coach. Manchester United needed a last-gasp Benjamin Sesko winner to clinch a 3-2 victory.
A similar game could ensue at the London Stadium against a West Ham side that is building momentum in their fight against relegation. This could be a closely-fought affair, although the visitors should have enough to seal a fifth consecutive victory.
Prediction: West Ham 1-2 Manchester United
