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Manchester United play hosts to Basel for their second Champions League Group C game in the hope they can get their campaign up and running with an emphatic win.
The Red Devils could only draw their first European game of the season with Benfica two weeks ago and will look to score a convincing win despite an ever increasing injury list.
Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez look set to miss the clash at Old Trafford. Rooney pulled up with a hamstring injury during training on Friday, while Hernandez limped off during United’s 1-1 draw with Stoke on Sunday with a deadleg.
Jonny Evans, Michael Carrick, Chris Smalling, Nemanja Vidic, Rafael and Tom Cleverley are all injured and likely to miss the game, with Vidic in particular causing concern having not trained since picking up a calf knock almost a month ago.
That means that United boss Sir Alex Ferguson may opt to give Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Owen rare starts in attack, although Danny Welbeck’s return from a spell on the sidelines against Stoke may put paid to that idea.
Rio Ferdinand will also look to continue along the path to full fitness having missed much of the season with injury, and will likely partner Phil Jones at the heart of United’s defence in the absence of Smalling and Vidic.
Basel got their Champions League campaign off to winning start when they overcame Romanian club Otelul Galati 2-1 two weeks ago thanks to two goals from Alexander Frei, and the Swiss side will look to the Swiss midfielder once more with leading striker Xherdan Shaqiri is suspended along with Benjamin Huggel.
Valentin Stocker, Gilles Yapi and Genseric Kusunga are also missing for the visitors, but Australian international Scott Chipperfield is available having recovered from a leg injury.
Thorsten Fink’s side have a poor record in England, and have failed to win on English soil in seven attempts, and have lost their last four, although they did secure a draw against Liverpool eight years ago.
They have had some success in the past at Old Trafford however, claiming a 1-1 draw against Ferguson’s side in the 2002/03 Champions League competition after losing the corresponding fixture in Switzerland 3-1.
United meanwhile have turned Old Trafford into a fortress for European football, and can boast an impressive record there. Of their last 32 games at home, they have lost only once, to Besiktas in November 2009.
Match Winner
It comes as no surprise that Manchester United are the clear favourites for this one given their impressive start to the Premier League season and outstanding home record in Europe. @ Bet365 are offering 1.20 (1/5) on a United win, while @ BetFredare offering 19.00( 18/1) on a Basel upset.
Given the injuries that affect United for this one and their recent blip in form, it may be worth backing the draw at 7.00 (6/1) with StanJames, the result between these two teams the last time they met.
Amount of goals
United hit the ground running in the Premier League, finding the net no less than 22 times in six games, largely thanks to the form of Wayne Rooney, who is just one shy of his tally of ten he claimed last year. However with both United’s main strike partnership missing and with the home side facing a side likely to shut up shop, the result could be a lot closer than most think.
Backing there to be less than two goals at 5.50 (9/2) with @ BlueSQ could be a wise move, while you think United will recreate their free scoring antics of the Premier League you can back there to be four goals or more.
Recommended bets
Correct Score, Manchester United 2-0 : 7.00 (6/1) @ William Hill
Ashley Young, anytime goal scorer: 3.00 (2/1) @ Coral
