Jose Mourinho and his Manchester United team will have the chance to move up in the Premier League table if they can manage to come away with all three points when they take on Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium.
Also read: Premier League results
After a decent start under Aitor Karanka, Middlesbrough have crumbled and might as well end up getting relegated if they don't turn things around this match. Middlesbrough's caretaker boss Steve Agnew will be looking for their first win in 10 matches in the Premier League.
Manchester United finally look like a proper team under Mourinho and after Arsenal dropped points yesterday, the Red Devils have a really good chance to close the gap on the top four with a win over Middlesbrough. Manchester United will have to play this match without a few key players though.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Ander Herrera will be out through suspension and Paul Pogba will also miss this match after he picked up an injury during their Europa League match against Rostov midweek. Daley Blind is a doubt for this match through a head injury and club captain Wayne Rooney could also miss out after sustaining an injury while training.
Mourinho continued to talk about Manchester United's fixture congestion during his pre-match press conference and said a point against Middlesbrough would be a great result.
"I don't think it's a funny situation. When I watch marathons and people go to their limit, I don't think it is funny, and I don't think its funny some of my players in six weeks play 11 matches. Play on Monday with 10 men, enjoying five hours the M6 coming back to Manchester" BBC quoted him as saying.
"People can ask why was (Phil) Jones playing on the left with so many difficulties. He was playing on the left because he could run and Marcos (Rojo) couldn't run. We are living all these things and let's see if Sunday we get a point. That would be great result."
Middlesbrough will be hoping to come up with goods this match as they look to keep their Premier League hopes alive. Playing Manchester United in the first game in charge will not be easy for caretaker boss Agnew. Also, the injuries in the side won't help matters much as well.
Bernardo Espinosa and Rudy Gestede could be available for this match as they have resumed training after picking up injuries in the match against Manchester City. They face a huge problem in the defence as George Friend, Daniel Ayala and Calum Chambers are all set to miss out through injuries.
Agnew will be hoping for a positive result when his side faces Manchester United.
"I have to be honest; [Thursday] was a really difficult and emotional day. Aitor Karanka put in incredible work over the last three and a half years. I really enjoyed his work and his company during my two and a half years working with him. But today the players have trained well and we look forward to the weekend, " he said.
Where to watch
The Premier League match between Middlesbrough and Manchester United is set to start at 12.00 pm GMT (5.30pm IST, 8.00am EST)
TV and Live streaming information
India: TV: Star Sports select HD 2. Live Streaming: Hotstar
UK: TV: BT Sports 1. Live streaming: BT Sports live streaming
USA: TV: NBCSN, Telemundo. Live Streaming: NBC Sports Live
Africa: TV: Super Sport 3. Live streaming: Super Sport live
Middle East: TV: Bein Sports Arabia. Live Streaming: Bein Sports Connect
