Preview
The Premier League resumes this weekend, with the competition's most successful club in history Man United gearing up for an interesting showdown with Newcastle. The Red Devils will welcome the Magpies at 10 a.m. ET on Saturday as football fans eagerly await the debut – or shall we say second debut – of a certain player by the name of Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ever since the Portuguese ace completed a shock return to Old Trafford, all eyes quickly shifted to the Newcastle game. The five-time Ballon d'Or decided to end his spell with Italian giants Juventus, and after initially being linked with a move to bitter rivals Man City, the 36-year-old eventually secured spell at the club where he first rose to stardom.
Ronaldo, who recently surpassed Ali Daei as the all-time top scorer in men's international football, was released early by Portugal so he could arrive at Carrington early in order to begin training and assimilate with his new team-mates. Whether that will translate into a start straight of the rip or an off-the-bench cameo, time will tell.
It should be noted that there is a game to be played and three points to be won, meaning Cristiano's debut should not distract everyone from the task at hand. Solskjaer's men have begun the 2021/22 season in great fashion but cannot afford to drop points, having already done that courtesy of their disappointing 1-1 draw away to Southampton on Matchweek 2.
Brilliant displays from Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba in the opening round inspired Man United to an emphatic 5-1 triumph over Leeds while in-form teenager Mason Greenwood grabbed a late winner to lead his club to a 1-0 victory over Wolves right before the international break.
As for Newcastle, they will be hoping for a miracle as there is little to suggest they will win at the Theatre of Dreams. The Magpies haven't enjoyed the best of starts, having picked up only a single point so far, leaving them 17th in the table.
In fact, Steve Bruce's side are yet to win a game across all competitions, having kicked off the Premier League campaign with back-to-back defeats against West Ham and Leicester before losing to Burnley on penalties in the Carabao Cup second round. Wilson and Co. came close to victory in Matchweek 3 but were denied the three points by Southampton as a stoppage-time penalty from Ward-Prowse sealed a 2-2 draw.
Team news
Man United: Ronaldo is all but guaranteed to feature, but whether that will be from the bench or in the starting eleven remains unknown. Fred, however, looks set to miss this fixture due to a squabble between Premier League clubs and the Brazilian FA. Phil Jones and Scott McTominay are out, though the latter is the only who would have likely featured, while Jadon Sancho has recovered from a knock he picked up during the international break.
Newcastle: Jonjo Shelvey (calf) and Callum Wilson (thigh) look set to miss this tie, which is a huge blow as the Magpies aren't a team blessed with a plethora of talented options. Martin Dubravka is out for this game while Ryan Fraser is a doubt. Karl Darlow, however, should recover in time for this game.
Key stats
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Man United have not lost a home game against Newcastle since December 2013.
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The Magpies have won just one of their last 36 Premier League visits to Old Trafford, drawing nine and losing 26.
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The Red Devils have kept only three clean sheets in their last 14 home league games.
Broadcast listings
Match details, result and original broadcast info
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Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
