Premier League Preview and Prediction: Manchester United vs West Ham United

West Ham’s form on the road this season has been very good and with United struggling to score, he should fancy his men for a draw.

Manchester United have met West Ham 130 times before, with the Red Devils claiming the honours on 61 occasions and the Hammers on 41, with 27 draws. In all competitions, Louis van Gaal’s side drawn six times in nine games – four of those were goalless.

In Rooney’s absence Martial will be called upon to lead the line. The club captain has an ankle problem, which Van Gaal described as “a nasty injury”. He has to do a lot of exercises to make his ankle stronger. Luke Shaw and Antonio Valencia remain long-term absentees.

When asked if Rooney would miss the match at Wolfsburg, Van Gaal said: “Yes, I think so”.

We are still waiting for the results on Diafra Sakho’s scan, but it’s not good. We are not going to go there and defend for the whole game. The match will air shortly after the Stoke City-Manchester City match is completed.

“You can’t play quicker because you need gaps and space behind the opponents”.

If he does, the lineup above is a reasonable guess at the selection, although Lingard could be preferred to Memphis Depay.

In midfield, Morgan Schneiderlin may make a return, though Michael Carrick and Bastian Schweinsteiger could continue their partnership. Marouane Fellaini could also be involved, although having him at No. 10 would appear to be a retrograde step.

“We have already proved this season that we can play against the big teams”.

With Dimitri Payet out for some time, the creative burden in West Ham’s attack falls on Laznini. He is a versatile player who can play as a centre-back and also in the defensive midfield position. Winston Reid has featured in the last three games in succession but has been partnered by both Angelo Ogbonna and James Tomkins-either could feature here.

Tied into that is the form of Anthony Martial.

Key Player: Juan Mata – The Spaniard has been one of United’s most consistent players this season and is their top scorer in the Premier League.

Most weeks Manchester United find themselves shunted around the schedules thanks to European commitments and TV interest. It is an intriguing match up for Carroll against a United defence that has been seen as vulnerable under aerial attack.