Manchester United will aim to rebound from their crushing 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth when they travel to face Wolves on Boxing Day.
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The loss, United’s second in a row, leaves them languishing in 13th place, marking the first time since 1989 that the club will spend Christmas in the bottom half of the Premier League table.
The pressure is mounting on Ruben Amorim, whose tenure has been marked by inconsistent performances.
Meanwhile, Wolves, under new head coach Vitor Pereira, head into the match with momentum after an emphatic 3-0 victory over Leicester City in Pereira’s debut.
Amorim is hopeful that Dutch defender Matthijs de Ligt, who has missed the last two matches due to illness, will return to bolster United’s fragile defence.
De Ligt could potentially line up alongside Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez in a back three, with Noussair Mazraoui shifting to his natural wing-back role.
However, defensive options remain limited. Victor Lindelof is sidelined after picking up an injury against Tottenham, and Luke Shaw’s recovery has been delayed by a setback earlier this month.
Further up the field, United faces more injury concerns. Mason Mount, who limped off during the Manchester Derby, is ruled out for several weeks, according to Amorim.
Marcus Rashford’s future remains uncertain after he expressed his desire for a “new challenge.” Despite being fit, the English forward has not been included in the last three matchday squads, and his availability against Wolves is still undecided.
Amorim might tweak his attacking setup in Rashford’s absence. Joshua Zirkzee, who struggled against Bournemouth, could be replaced by Rasmus Hojlund, while Bruno Fernandes might drop into a deeper midfield role to accommodate Alejandro Garnacho in the front line.
Predicted Manchester United XI to face Wolves:
Onana; Martinez, Maguire, De Ligt; Dalot, Mainoo, Ugarte, Mazraoui; Fernandes, Hojlund, Amad.
Match Information:
Wolves vs Manchester United kicks off at 5:30 PM on Thursday, December 26, and will be broadcast live in the UK on Amazon Prime.
United desperately need a positive result to reignite their campaign, but Wolves, buoyed by their recent win, will pose a significant challenge for Amorim’s struggling side.
