German international likely to be fit after suffering ankle knock against Marseille
Manchester United vs Manchester City
Competition: F.A. Premier League
Date: 5.30pm, Saturday 12th December 2020
Venue: Old Trafford, Trafford
Referee: Chris Kavanagh Assistants: L Betts, C Hatzidakis Fourth Official: C Pawson VAR: A Marriner
Odds: United 10/3, Draw 3/1, City 8/11
TV: Sky Sports
Manchester United
Manager: Ole Gunnar Solskjær
Squad (from): De Gea, Grant, Henderson, Lindelof, Bailly, Maguire, Shaw, Fosu-Mensah, Telles, Wan-Bissaka, Tuanzebe, Pogba, Mata, Lingard, Fred, Fernandes, James, Pellistri, Matic, van de Beek, McTominay, Cavani, Martial, Rashford, Ighalo, Greenwood
Injured: Jones
Doubtful: Cavani
Suspended: None
Form guide: WWLWL
Manchester City
Manager: Pep Guardiola
Squad (from): Ederson, Steffen, Carson, Walker, Dias, Stones, Ake, Zinchenko, Laporte, Mendy, Cancelo, Gundogan, Rodrigo, De Bruyne, Silva, Fernandinho, Foden, Sterling, Jesus, Aguero, Torres, Mahrez
Injured: Garcia
Doubtful: Gundogan
Suspended: None
Form guide: WWDWW
Ilkay Gundogan has recovered from an ankle knock, but Eric Garcia misses the derby with a muscular injury sustained on Wednesday evening. Manager Pep Guardiola has no other injury conerns, although he reiterated that Sergio Aguero won't be fit to start despite scoring as a substitute against Marseille.
“Eric is not fit,” Guardiola said at his pre-match press conference.
“He will be out for two or three weeks. Ilkay trained good.”
“Except two players, the others are fit,” he added.
“With this ridiculous rule everyone cannot be on the bench so that’s why the players have to be ready every week because there are guys waiting to be in the team.”
City lost their last game at Old Trafford 2-0, courtesy of goals from Anthony Martial and Scorr McTominay. Overall City have won 52 of the 185 games played against United, with 49 draws and 70 defeats. However, there has been a clear shift in the balance of power in Manchester over the past decade, as this article by Betway Football suggests. On and off the pitch the Blues, once dubbed the "noisy neighbours" by Alex Ferguson, have surpassed their rivals and go into Saturday's derby as clear favourites with the bookies. United, however, will take solace from the fact that they have won three of the previous four derbies, but will be bruised by Tuesday's humiliating exit from the Champions League.
Predicted line-up: Ederson, Walker, Stones, Dias, Mendy, Rodri, Gundogan, De Bruyne, Mahrez, Sterling, Jesus
Score prediction: United 1 City 2