Match Preview

Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick hailed the form of team-mate Anthony Martial as his side prepare to travel to Sunderland in the Barclays Premier League on Saturday.

Martial, 20, has scored once and picked up three assists in his last three matches in all competitions as he impresses on the left wing.

Carrick has been hugely impressed by Martial, who will be one of United's main threats at the Stadium of Light as they bid to close the gap on the top four.

Louis van Gaal's side are six points adrift of fourth-placed Manchester City with 13 matches remaining, but have only lost once in their last seven league matches going into Saturday’s match.

"His performances have been very good," Carrick said of Martial to www.manutd.com. "He makes it look so effortless. It almost looks like he is not really sprinting but he has that burst of two or three yards to get past players.

"You certainly wouldn't want to be defending against him one-on-one in the box because once he knocks it by you and gets that yard, he is away. He has been so effective for us in the last couple of games.

"The amount of ability he has got is huge. The potential is certainly there. It is easy to forget the age he is and how little football he has actually played as well.

"To have such an impact at this stage, with the expectations based on him and the way he's dealt with it, has been superb."

Adnan Januzaj (hamstring) and Guillermo Varela (knock) both suffered injuries in Man Utd’s 7-0 Barclays Under-21 Premier League victory over Norwich City on Monday, adding to a lengthy injury list, but Phil Jones (ankle) returned in that match.

Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce confirmed that Younes Kaboul (ankle), Sebastian Larsson (knee), Jeremain Lens (hernia) and Duncan Watmore (ankle) have all been ruled out. Billy Jones (hip) is also a doubt, but Fabio Borini should return from illness. Adam Johnson has had his contract terminated by the club.

Sunderland have not won in the BPL against United at the Stadium of Light in 13 attempts, but they could do with ending that run as they sit 19th in the table, four points adrift of safety despite last week's comeback 2-2 draw at Liverpool.

Allardyce said: "It is a necessity to start winning a few matches and then, as always, if we can't then take the point. Hopefully that will give us the drive and confidence to get out of trouble.

"Let's try to play as well as we did against Manchester City [a 1-0 home defeat] and see if we can get some points. If we can put up the same show as we did against City, we are going to give them a really good game.

"But I would say to the players 'make sure you get a result if you are going to give a performance like that'. More than ever before our life is about results rather than performances.

"I think that we are going to have to fight until the end of the season now. There is no doubt about that based on the amount of points we have to catch up and the number of games left."

Sunderland (from): Harper, Mannone, Pickford, Brown, Jones, Kaboul, Kirchhoff, Kone, O'Shea, Van Aanholt, Yedlin, Cattermole, Khazri, M'Vila, Rodwell, Borini, Defoe, Gooch, N'Doye, Toivonen.

Manchester United (from): De Gea, Romero, Borthwick-Jackson, Darmian, Jones, McNair, Smalling, Varela, Blind, Carrick, Fellaini, Herrera, Lingard, Mata, Pereira, Schneiderlin, Depay, Martial, Rooney.

Match Appointments
Referee: Andre Marriner Assistants: J Collin, S Beck Fourth Official: L Mason

Match Facts
- Manchester United have won 21 and lost just two of their 29 Barclays Premier League matches against Sunderland.
- Sunderland have never beaten Man Utd in the league at the Stadium of Light (D4 L9).
- Wayne Rooney has been involved in as many BPL goals during six matches in 2016 (five goals, three assists), as he had in 33 appearances in 2015 (six goals, two assists).
- Only Sergio Aguero (seven) has scored more top-flight goals in 2016 so far than Jermain Defoe (six) and Wayne Rooney (five

Man UTD d pride of d whole world. Red for life

.........

MAN UTD IS DEAD AND BURIED

Man u for sure

ALL HAIL THE KING OF LONDON, THAT IS GUNNERS FOR LIFE

Sunderland go chop am.

Any bad mouth?

BEAT ARSENAL AND YOU WILL BE THE KING OF EUROPE

OZAOEKPE:
MAN UTD IS DEAD AND BURIED

Na you buy their casket?

ABEG HU DON HEAR ABOUT WETIN GO HAPPEN MAN U VS ARSENAL ON 28TH FEB? >> THOSE PIPL DON DEY USE STYLE DEY TEL US (AFRIKANS) SUMTHIN OH #NoToGays

jnrbayano:


Na you buy their casket?

NA KINGTOM BUY AM??

Cool

Draw

Hmm

Another Struggle

Man u no fall hands o

Lasveg:
Man u no fall hands o, just dont lose cos my 23k is at stake...

WHY U WASTE MONEY NOW??

OZAOEKPE:
ALL HAIL THE KING OF LONDON, THAT IS GUNNERS FOR LIFE

abeg sheh na arsenal ball them write? Some people sha. SMFH. When dem sopos go pray make Lei city no win them more than 3 goals.

abibshine:
abeg sheh na arsenal ball them write? Some people sha. SMFH. When dem sopos go pray make Lei city no win them more than 3 goals.

WORRY NOT ABOUT GUNNER, WE RUN LONDON

[quote author=OZAOEKPE post=42885133]

Up manutd.

up red

Man united do me a favour and spell sunderland

United will win this game...

Im a man united fan, but i hope united can lose this game as sad as it is,to hasten LVG sacking.

#anybody get update on mourinho's contract?

jnrbayano:

Na you buy their casket?

u dey mind am?

obaayo2:
Im a man united fan, but i hope united can lose this game as sad as it is,to hasten LVG sacking.

#anybody get update on mourinho's contract?

i also wish van gaal will get the axe, but if that is what will bring mourinho then man united should win 20 nil,
if man utd is dying now , mourinho will come and conduct the burial rites

Louis Van Gaal got to go

i must sekem here today

Aieromon come out now o